Equality California (EQCA), the state's
largest gay rights group, is expected to announce this week whether
it will back a 2012 effort to repeal Proposition 8, California's gay
marriage ban.
In April, the group launched a process
to determine whether to pursue a voter referendum in 2012 or wait for
the courts to decide the issue. Proposition 8 was narrowly approved
by voters in 2008. A legal challenge resulted last year in a federal
judge declaring the amendment unconstitutional, but supporters have
appealed the decision.
“So what do we, as a community, do?
Do we wait until the courts rule? Do we move forward and try to win
marriage back at the ballot box? And if so, what level of public
support do we need before we return to the ballot?” wrote EQCA's
Jim Carroll.
“This year, Equality California has
been engaged in an extensive process to evaluate whether to go back
to the ballot in 2012. That process has included feedback from our
members, donors, community partners and political experts. It is
important to consider all of the variables that could impact the
success of a campaign to overturn Proposition 8, including other
potential ballot measures, the availability of support from funders,
the capacity of our grassroots movement and our allies to execute the
campaign and the level of public support,” EQCA
said at its website.
“We will make an announcement about
whether we intend to go back to the ballot by October 7,” the group
added.
A 2010 petition effort failed without
the support of major gay rights groups in the state, including
Equality California.