California Proposition 8
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California Proposition 8, also known as "Proposition Hate," is a constitutional amendment passed by the voters of California on November 4, 2008, defining marriage as between a man and a woman. The passage of Proposition 8 effectively ended same-sex marriage in California for the time being, which had been legal since the state supreme court struck down California's statutory ban on same-sex marriage on May 15, 2008.
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[edit] Mormon involvement
The Mormon church was heavily involved in funding and promoting the "Yes On 8" campaign.[1] As a result there have been several calls for the revocation of the Mormon Church's tax-exempt status, though the involvement of religious groups on both sides of the initiative was prominent.
[edit] Development
On May 26, 2009, it was announced that the California Supreme Court upheld the proposition, but, at the same time, still recognized the 18,000 same-sex marriages performed in California prior to the ban. [2]
On August 4, 2010, a Federal District Court overturned the amendment in the case of Perry v. Schwarzenegger. If the case is appealed up the system, it could become the "Roe v. Wade of same-sex marriage".
On February 7, 2012, a panel of the United States Court of Appeals for Ninth Circuit upheld the District Court's decision on appeal by a 2-1 vote.[3].
On December 7, 2012, the United States Supreme Court granted certiorari to hear the case and heard oral arguments on March 26, 2013. The justices appeared to focus largely on the question of whether or not the groups which sponsored Prop 8 have standing to defend the law when the state has refused to do so.[4] A decision is expected in June 2013.