RELATIONSHIPS: The majority of California has traditionally held conservative views on the issue of same-sex marriage, but new polls and data show that many voters are changing their opinions.
By John Burke, Staff Writer
In 2008, California voters approved Proposition 8, which outlawed same sex marriage in California. Prop. 8 passed 52 to 48 percent after both parties spent a combined $83 million on advertising. As was proved by the ballot, the majority of Californians preferred that marriage remain between a man and a wife.
But opinions polls have shown a significant shift in the favor of same-sex marriage, both in California and nationally. February Field Poll found that California voters favor gay marriage 61 to 34 percent. A Washington Post-ABC News Poll released March 18 found that about 58 percent of Americans believe gay marriage should be legal and 36 percent think it should be illegal. In addition to this, The Washington Post-ABC News Poll found that 81 percent of people aged 18 to 29 support legalizing same-sex marriage.
Despite the data these polls have uncovered, leaders of the Prop. 8 movement remain optimistic. “I agree it is a real battle and it’s uphill when it comes to younger voters, and the reason for that is they are overwhelmingly informed by the media,” Ron Prentice, CEO of the Riverside-based Family Council, said. Prentice is also the chairman of ProtectMarriage.com, which spearheaded the Prop. 8 ballot measure. Prentice has said that future measures for ensuring that gay marriage stays illegal would include informing people on the negative effects of gay marriage, which he claims includes undermining the entire institution of marriage and making life difficult for children raised by same-sex couples.
Same-sex marriage has already been legalized in nine other states. According to gay marriage supporters, no negative repercussions have occurred in those states. Same-sex marriage supporters also claim that polls showing the negative effects of gay marriage were skewed, polling mostly low-income families or ones in which one spouse switched out of a heterosexual relationship.
The issue of whether or not Prop. 8 is constitutional will be orally debated on Tuesday, March 26. If it is declared constitutional, then legislation approving same-sex marriage will be appearing on future ballots.
Contributed by redalertpolitics.com