Days after California's largest gay
rights group said it would not pursue an attempt to repeal Prop 8,
Love Honor Cherish said it will.
Last week, Equality California (EQCA)
announced it would sit out an effort to repeal the 2008
voter-approved constitutional amendment which overturned a state
Supreme Court decision legalizing such unions.
The group cited divided support for gay
marriage, the economy and an ongoing legal challenge to the law in
explaining its decision.
“The struggling economy and
complicated 2012 political climate have created an environment that
is considered less favorable to a campaign to overturn Prop 8 and
significantly increases the risk of loss,” the group wrote. “In
addition, the Perry v. Brown legal challenge to Proposition 8
has provided hope that the freedom to marry can be restored in
California.”
Losing at the ballot box “could also
embolden our opposition to try to roll back other hard-fought rights
and protections across the state and the country.”
According to gay weekly The
Bay Area Reporter, Love Honor Cherish has concluded
differently.
“We simply do not believe in sitting
on our hands while our rights are being decided,” said Lester
Aponte, Love Honor Cherish's outreach director. “We have a
commitment to our members and to the community to do everything we
can to repeal Prop 8.”
To qualify for the 2012 ballot, the
group would need to collect 807,615 valid signatures from registered
voters.