Source: San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times
On a day that saw the greatest breakthrough ever in the long and sorry history of racial discrimination in America, a day when American voters overwhelmingly elected the country's first African American president, voters in four states also showed they are eager to embrace a different kind of discrimination.
Ballot measure designed to specifically deny rights to gay and lesbian people passed or were leading in California, Florida, Arizona, and Arkansas.
Same-sex marriage bans won easily Tuesday night in Florida and Arizona. It was a rematch in Arizona, which in 2006 became the only state to ever reject a ban on gay marriage.
In Arkansas, voters approved a measure that will ban unmarried people -- especially gay men and lesbians -- from adopting children or serving as foster parents.
With 33 percent of precincts reporting, voters in California appeared to have accepted a proposal aimed to strip from gay and lesbian couples the right to marry that was recognized only five months ago by the state's supreme court.
Proposition 8 was leading in late evening return with 53% in favor of the ban on marriage equality and 47% opposed.
The measure was still too close to call at 11:00 pm. High numbers of votes in several large Bay Area counties remained to be counted, but votes from other urban areas that were voting in favor of the amendment were also left to be counted
Opponents of the measure, gathered earlier in the evening at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco, were confident the numbers would start moving their way.
"It's really early," said Ali Bay, a spokeswoman for the "No on Prop. 8" campaign when just 28% of the votes had been counted. "I expect we'll be watching this race late into the night."
Supporters of the ban were cautiously optimistic.
"We're confident voters did go to the polls to vote 'yes' to protect traditional marriage," said Chip White, a spokesman for the Prop. 8 campaign.
In an analysis of early exit poll data, Los Angeles Times reports that the proposition was trailing among white voters, but was ahead among black voters. Latino voters were closely divided.
People who said they attended religious services weekly were overwhelmingly voting for the measure, while those who said that they occasionally or never went to religious services were voting no.
Voters older than 65 voted mostly for the proposition, while those in the 18-29 range voted against it.
The campaign pitted those who argued that a same-sex marriage ban was nothing more than outdated discrimination against gays and lesbians, and conservatives and Christian groups who countered that the state and the courts have no right to unilaterally change a definition of marriage that has existed for centuries, San Francisco Chronicle reports.
The flood of dollars that poured into California from every part of the country made Prop. 8 the most expensive social issue race the nation has ever seen. And behind every one of those checks was someone desperately worried about what the result of the election could mean to them and their state.
To San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and other opponents of Prop. 8, as well as to religious groups who backed the measure, the proposed ban on same-sex marriage was the second most important election in the country Tuesday.
The Prop. 8 battle, born in San Francisco, came eight years after more than 61 percent of California voters came out in favor of Prop. 22, which banned same-sex marriage in the state. But supporters had little time to savor the victory.
In 2004, Newsom set off a political and social explosion when he ordered marriage licenses issued to same-sex couples in the city. Gay and lesbian couples flocked to the city, showing up in wedding dresses and tuxes for the chance to be legally married. Despite outraged reaction from across the state and nation, Newsom didn't back down until a court ordered the city to stop issuing the same-sex licenses.
In 2005 and 2007, the Legislature passed bills that would have allowed same-sex marriage, but Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed them. In 2006, the state Supreme Court voted unanimously to hear several challenges to same-sex marriage and rule on them.
Opponents of same-sex marriage were ready with a challenge that became Prop. 8.
Source: Battle over same-sex marriage ending | San Francisco Chronicle
Nation watches as a divided California votes on same-sex marriage | Los Angeles Times