California’s social conservatives are out for Barack Obama’s blood. The Democratic presidential hopeful made headlines earlier this week by coming out against an amendment banning gay marriage in the Golden State. And, of course, the right wing’s making his homo support into a big stink: According to Randy Thomasson, President of Campaign for Children and Families, a May 21 Los Angeles Times poll shows that 54 percent of California voters support Proposition 8, the California marriage amendment, and only 35 percent oppose it. “Despite his claims that he believes marriage is only for a man and a woman, Barack Obama ...

Barack Obama is opposing a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage in California, taking a liberal stand on an issue in the midst of a move to the center on others in recent weeks. In a letter sent to the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club of San Francisco this week, the Illinois senator said "I oppose the divisive and discriminatory efforts to amend the California Constitution, and similar efforts to amend the U.S. Constitution or those of other states." Conservatives in the state are pushing a constitutional amendment following a California Supreme Court decision that overturned the ...

We knew this was coming: “In the final hours of one of the longest state legislative sessions on record, state Senators approved a measure sending a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage to the fall ballot… Senate President Tim Bee cast the decisive, 16th vote in favor of the referendum that defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman – the only referendum likely to be on the fall ballot from lawmakers, as the session draws to a close.” [Arizona Republic] ...

In the final hours of one of the longest state legislative sessions on record, state senators approved a measure sending a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage to the fall ballot. The long-anticipated vote came just before adjournment and followed hours of angry, raucous debate in which the legislative rule book was used as a weapon to both stall the vote (Democrats) and cut short debate (Republicans). Senators on both sides of the aisle and of the issue lamented a meltdown in the higher chamber, as most of the day's work was scrapped so that the marriage amendment could be ...

California’s gay marriage drama took a new twist Friday. Pro-gay activists filed a legal brief to block a proposed amendment banning gay marriage. The activists insist that the amendment counts as a “revision” of the constitution, which requires legislative - not electoral - action. The Supreme Court will rule on the petition later this summer. [LA Times] ...