Mr. 'No on Prop 8' - Watch him in the video below. In June 2008, the California Supreme Court decided to approve same-sex marriage in their state. However, a Christian Right anti-SSM campaign now threatens to enshrine discrimination against same-sex couples within the state constitution. The Californian Christian Right and its allies prefer to call it the "Marriage Protection Act." However, the California Attorney-General, Jerry Brown, has provided it with a more objective and honest label: Proposition 8 seeks to 'eliminate rights of same-sex couples to marry,' according to the final draft, which is up for inclusion within the California state constitution due to a citizens initiated referendum, or initiative, as they call it there. It wasn't the first time that the California Supreme Court has led public opinion. In 1948, it struck down racist state laws that had hitherto banned interracial heterosexual marriage, which didn't happen nationwide until the US Supreme Court struck down all other such state legislation in 1967. In 1999, the California state legislature passed domestic partnership legislation. However, in 2000, California voters passed amendments to the California Family Code which banned same-sex marriage proper. In 2004, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom performed almost four thousand same-sex marriages in defiance, until the California Supreme Court annulled them. However, San Francisco counter-appealed, and on June 17, 2008, the court struck down discriminatory state legislation that had previously invalidated same-sex marriage. Since 2004, the Californian Christian Right has tried to introduce several discriminatory state constitutional amendments, but only the latest one has succeeded in obtaining the requisite number of signatures on the petition. So, who are the supporters of Proposition 8, this discriminatory marriage law referendum? They include US Republican presidential candidate John McCain, the Roman Catholic and Mormon Churches, (Catholic) Knights of Columbus, Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, the fundamentalist American Family Association, Focus on the Family, and the Orwellian "National Organisation 'for' Marriage." In additional, several professional fundamentalist athletes also support banning same-sex marriage in California, as well as a self-styled "Asian Heritage Coalition." Opponents of Proposition 8 are spearheaded by Equality for All, and also include US Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, California Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and several other liberal Republicans, US Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Californian Democrat Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, the Mayors of San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego, the League of Women Voters, Google, the Episcopal Church, the Board of Rabbis of Southern California, Jewish Community Relations Council of San Francisco, Jewish Community Federation of the Greater East Bay, Progressive Jewish Alliance, Kol Tzedek, Congregations Beth Am, Emanu-El, Sha'ar Zahav, Shomrei Torah and Sherith Israel, Keshot, Kulanu, Nehirim, Jewish Mosaic, National Council of Jewish Women, Jews for Marriage Equality, Steven Speilberg, Brad Pitt, T.R.Knight, Dana Delaney, Eric McCormack, Pete Wentz and David Geffen. Will Proposition 8 succeed? The latest Survey USA opinion polls appear to show a narrow margin for marital discrimination, although there is still a sizeable bloc of undecided voters who could swing for, or against, the measure. Recommended: In re Marriage Cases: http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/opinions/documents/s147999.PDF Equality for All: http://www.equalityforall.com/home No on Proposition 8: http://www.noonprop8.com/home Not Recommended: Marriage discrimination advocates: http://www.protectmarriage.com/ Craig Young - 22nd October 2008