LOS ANGELES — The efforts to collect signatures to qualify an initiative to repeal California’s Proposition 8 law, which bans same-sex marriage, have ceased.
Eric Harrison, interim executive director of Love Honor Cherish, which was leading the efforts, said via email today that the signature-gathering would cease.
“Following last week’s victory in the 9th Circuit, we are now hopeful that weddings of gay and lesbian couples will resume by the end of this year, or even, at the end of this month,” Harrison wrote. “And what an incredible day that will be when gays and lesbians are able to marry again in California!”
Harrison said the “backup plan” was no longer feasible, and explained that the efforts would require raising more than $1.5 million to hire a paid signature-gathering firm.
“In view of the 9th Circuit victory and the narrowness of the ruling, making Supreme Court review less likely, raising the additional funds needed is now not realistic. And, as we have stated, we had no illusions that the initiative could qualify based solely on our statewide volunteer signature gathering effort,” Harrison wrote.
He thanked volunteers who had already began collecting signatures and talking to Californians about the need to legalize marriage equality.
“Our work however continues,” Harrison wrote. “Gay and lesbian couples still cannot marry and do not have full equality, either in California or on a federal level. We will relentlessly continue to expose the lies of our opponents, mobilize marriage equality supporters and tell stories of LGBT families in a meaningful and impactful way.”
Filed under: California
Florida teen fighting criminal charges related to same-sex relationship
Wash. florist who refused flowers for gay couple’s wedding files suit against state
Anti-gay marriage activist commits suicide on alter at Notre Dame cathedral
Texas judge enforces ‘morality clause’ to split up lesbian couple
Catholic school: Transgender student must wear girl’s graduation gown
Another Ore. bakery refuses to provide wedding cake for same-sex couple
Sex and the teenage girl: The Kaitlyn Hunt tragedy
UPDATED: Police call fatal New York City shooting an anti-gay hate crime
Iowa anti-gay activist explains his opposition to gay marriage: ‘It’s awful’
Details emerge in case against teen accused of lewd behavior with girlfriend
Scottish cardinal to atone for sexual misconduct with younger clergy
BREAKING: French president signs marriage equality bill into law
Everything is bigger in Texas – even the homophobia
Obama delivers LGBT-inclusive commencement address at all-male college
Pa. school still refuses to announce transgender grad by his chosen name
so freakin typical.. calI is one of the mpst liberal most opened mineded places in the the world, and this bullshit is still goin on..its valentines day 2012, L.O.V.E?? i dont understand what ppl have a problem with.. ive honestly never heard a decent point of view orvalid reason for not allowing gay marriage everywhere.. this is america.. we have barack Obama and we r not gonnna give UP. not as long as im a around.., Till The Day i die!!!
California? Liberal? It’s all hype, I’m afraid. Prop 8 exposed Californians as a bunch of Armani-clad crackers.
Pretty much everyone in Congress is homophobic. Plus they’d want to avoid lawsuits and slurs against religious whack jobs (coughMAGGIEcoughSANTORUMcough) because apparently nobody wants to deal with offending someone. Fuck all of you religious nuts. I don’t care if you worship Jesus, Allah, Buddha, Shiva, Anubis, Hitler, it doesn’t matter. If you’re offended by same-sex marriage, NEWSFLASH, it’s the 21st century. Get the fuck over it.
As a proud Californian, I would not describe myself as such, Paul Broussard.
I thought they had legalized gay marriage last week. What happened?
no they didnt. what that meant was that the prop 8 case was going to the supreme court. not that it was legal. making something a law is a long process.
I could have sworn CA already re-legalized after declaring Prop.H8 unconstitutional. Homophobes shouldn’t waste their time and money on stupid laws based on religious beliefs.
Im GAY But i dont think this is the most Important thing right now. Maybe we should worry about getting our Economy Fixed and Getting Americans Jobs. And Get rid of our Idiot Dictator Obama. Gay Rights is a Side issue
But i do Support Gay Rights :D
Trevor. Youre a hypocrite and a jerk. You are a disgrace to our community. Obama is our ALLY!
Trevor… I am ashamed for you. Good luck getting equality under Santorum or Romney.
Or with your buddy Ron Paul…
Lololol. Troll him, Jimmy. <3
But aside from that….. WTFF?! It is a total waste of funds that could be used to create jobs instead of fighting over bullshit. :)
Have it Santorum or Romney’s way the gay community will end up being exiled off the country.
Lol. My stepdad likes to believe that we’ll all die out of we’re exiled………. :x