Great news on two fronts in the fight to ensure marriage equality is preserved in California.
First, a new statewide survey released by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) with funding from The James Irvine Foundation (PDF) has found that Prop 8 is now losing among likely voters, 52 percent to 44 percent.
The gap between likely voters in favor and opposed to Proposition 8 (44% yes, 52% no) has narrowed since September (41% yes, 55% no) and August (40% yes, 54% no). Compared to last month, more Republicans (70% today, 62% September) would vote yes on the measure, which would eliminate the right for same-sex couples to marry that the state Supreme Court granted in May.
Opposition is 4 points lower among Democrats (67% today, 71% September), but 5 points higher among independents (58% today, 53% September). At least half of men, women, Latinos, and whites oppose Proposition 8. Regionally, majorities of likely voters in the San Francisco Bay Area (67%) and Los Angeles (55%) are opposed. But majorities in the Central Valley (54%) and in the “Other Southern California” region that includes Orange, San Diego, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties (52%) favor the measure.
On the more general question of how they feel about allowing gay and lesbian couples to legally marry in California, likely voters are divided, 47 percent in favor and 49 percent opposed. These attitudes are largely unchanged since 2005. In an indication of how strong voters’ motivations are to cast their ballots on this measure, supporters of Proposition 8 are far more likely (69%) than opponents (49%) to say the results are very important.
Those close numbers mean we have to forge ahead in these last few days and that leads to the second bit of great news…
Your generosity since Monday has been overwhelming! 8 Against 8, an effort by eight lesbian bloggers to raise $8,000 in 8 days for the No On 8 campaign reached its goal in three days - at 11:45 PM ET on Wednesday, we went over the top with $8015 in donations! The 8 Against 8 fundraising effort continues through October 27th. Donations can be made at the following URL: http://www.8against8.com. 100% of all donations made through “8 Against 8” goes directly to Equality California’s No on Prop 8 campaign.
Our first donor via PHB has claimed an ad for the effort - reader Chino Blanco’s statement of support will run on the Blend:
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Please, please, please!
It is so disheartening to see all the hate revealed in the scads of pro-Prop 8 stickers and lawn signs I see every day going to and coming from work. My (very) Red part of SoCal is exactly the part the bigots are trying to stir up.
I’m disgusted by the hate, probably even more because they’ve attempted to dress it up as some kind of pro-family, pro-children stealth bullshit. The thing is, nobody is really that naive — the attempt to obscure doesn’t fool anybody, they all know exactly what the real purpose of Prop 8 is — the people in favor of continuing to deny civil rights to some “othered” people just don’t want to accept the reality of their own bigotry.
I’m really pissed that the LDS Church has inserted themselves into this. In general, while I think Mormon beliefs are crazy, most Mormons I know (and I know many, including relatives of mine) are nice people, even if they are sometimes misguided. But when the strength of the whole organization steps in to promote hate…that is not cool. I honestly think that sort of advocacy should endanger their tax exempt status.
Please make me proud, California! Change your ways, reject the hate, embrace the Christian love so many of you claim to believe in.
Say no to hate
Vote no on 8…