70% of African Americans backed Prop. 8, exit poll finds

A lot of Obama/Yes-on-8 voters? The Associated Press exit polls show that African Americans and Latinos backed Proposition 8 in good numbers. Details here from AP:

California's black and Latino voters, who turned out in droves for Barack Obama, also provided key support in favor of the state's same-sex marriage ban. Seven in 10 black voters backed a successful ballot measure to overturn the California Supreme Court's May decision allowing same-sex marriage, according to exit polls for The Associated Press.

More than half of Latino voters supported Proposition 8, while whites were split. Religious groups led the tightly organized campaign for the measure, and religious voters were decisive in getting it passed. Of the seven in 10 voters who described themselves as Christian, two-thirds backed the initiative. Married voters and voters with children strongly supported Proposition 8. Unmarried voters were heavily opposed.

-- Shelby Grad

Photo: Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Adam]

Marriage is about family. A man and woman by the nature of their gender can produce a child by having sex. The child is then raised by his mother and father who each have unique traits to offer the child in their development. Every child has a right to have a relationship with their mother and father.

[Gigi]

It's a shame that you would equate choosing to be gay with being born black.

[Wake up and smell the latte]

When you do something which goes against the Universal Chi, such as cheating, lying, sleep with your mom. and yes trying to marry and have sexual relations with a member of your same sex....the tide of truth turns against you, and you become cast out, cast down, and subject to every bad spirit that befalls man. wether it is homosexual actions or a crying in your crib, because you have learned it brings you attention. (learning to lie)
That being said, the opposing of gay marriage, is society's reaffirmation that we acknowledge the cosmic order of the universe...no rights, no children's benefit, no "blacks should be sypathethic". it just bad for the human race, and bad for the nation..gays know it, straights, thieves, murders know it.

[Danny]

In the town I grew up in, the same people who didn't like gays also weren't too fond of blacks or other minorities either. The same conservatives who pushed Prop. 8 were probably some of the same ones who pushed to outlaw affirmative action.
Bottom line: If you want people to respect your rights, you better stand up when other people's are endangered.

[David]

It was Black bigotry that passed Prop. 8. The facts are the facts. Black voters rose to 10% this years vs. 6% in 2004. 70% of them voted for Prop. 8. White votes, as a whole, were just under 50%, Asians were split, and Latinos were barely over the 50% margin. 10 million votes were cast! Prop. 8 passed by 300k votes. That is about 3%. It was the Black vote that passed this Proposition. Black people should understand about taking rights away from people. It wasn't until 1967 in Lovelace v Virginia that Blacks could freely marry Whites. What if a Proposition came out saying we could own slaves again in the South? Would you vote for that? The bible says, Slaves must obey their masters and that it is alright to have slaves. The bible is NO AUTHORITY when it comes to the rights of people in the world--it was written from a group of people in the Middle East, called Israelites, aka Jews, thousands of years ago. I do not understand how any minority can take away the rights of anyone else. Prejudice is an ugly thing and ugliest of all in those who have been prejudiced against before. It is HYPOCRISY! I am disappointed in Black people. Asians and Latinos and Whites have not had the same discrimination that Black people have had and are merely prejudice, but again they were in the 50% margin. But Blacks should know better.

[Stan Risdon]

Ex Post Facto? Equal Rights? Right to Contract? Privileges & Immunities? Full Faith & Credit?

One suspects this entire movement (banning gay marriage) is still born. But I despair of ever separating Church and Bedroom.

[alexandra]

here's my biggest irritation at those who voted yes. all these religious types talking about how gay is evil, and we must protect the sanctity of marriage, seriously, take a better look at yourselves. now, correct me if i am wrong - but wasn't divorce forbidden in the christian church? and yet, aren't there millions of divorced/remarried christians in the world? so, essentially, all you bible-toting christians are ruining the "sanctity" of marriage with your rampant divorce. why do you care so much how other people live their lives? why not concern yourself...with YOURSELF and allow others the happiness to be who they are. because otherwise, you're going to have to start living the bible a little more seriously - forget your divorces, forget having a million kids and then living on welfare - cuz isn't that going against the word of the so-called god? he who cast the first stone and all...(nevermind that religion is a sham and the bible is a piece of literature. get a grip, people.)

i'm shocked prop 8 passed in california. i thought there were more intelligent people in california. clearly i was wrong.

[Wilson]

During the civil rights movement, so many Jews went down south to help register blacks to vote and fight discrimination...they marched side by side with MLK....when given the chance to do the same, not only did the African American community not return the favor, not only did they fail to learn from those who helped them, not only did they push gay and lesbians to the back of the bus, they actually pushed us under it!

[concerned mom]

"Concerned Mom in SF:
Your ignorance is unenlightening."

Dear Jeff,

Sorry you see that my view of a personal experience with a public California school in the SF bay area was "unenlightening" but if it had been ANY other type of ideology or religion being forced on my children I would have cried foul too. I don't want my children indoctrinated by ANY form of ideology, morality, philosophy, or religion that runs counter to our family's personal choices, traditions and beliefs. Academics and ethics are all that are required for public education.The academic standards in California public education continue to slip while promotion of various ideologies take center stage. Critical thinking is no longer taught, only blind acceptance of what the state wants children to believe. The effect of this type of education is that many younger Californians just parrot what the media tells them is truth. Politically correct jargon strangles free speech and ignorant Californians are too blind to see it.

[Mike]

There is no issue of discrimination here. The privacy between two consenting adults is beyond the realm of the state and is protected by the constitution. But forcing the state, and society in general, to modify an institution such as marriage, is an excess, and a lack of common sense.
The union between man and woman is not a positivist invention of modern society, but rather a recognition of the natural composition of its basic building block. A stable family is not so much needed by the marrying couple for survival and development, as it is the need of the offspring they raise. Children need a natural, stable environment for a healthy development. Negating the perennial laws of nature in this sense, is like intending that a river flow from the sea to the mountain.The laws of nature should be cared for and respected, just as we care for the environment in many other ways.
The right of children to be educated in a natural family should be the first and foremost priority. Adults should behave as such, which is selflessly putting the needs of children first, instead of capriciously striving to satisfy their whims like adolescents.

[alexandra]

oh and also? gay is NOT a choice - who the hell would "choose" to be gay, given the outright prejudices? seriously, let your pea-sized brains stew over that for a moment.

and as for being a sin - good god, that's laughable. how many sins do you god-fearing christians commit on a daily basis? cheating, gambling, lying, sleeping with someone else's spouse, having a child out of wedlock? that's what gets me. if the black community (and latin community) thinks it's okay that they can have kids with multiple partners...kids they can't support themselves (that *I* have to support with my taxes), then why the f*ck can't a gay couple get married and raise children? unless you're perfect, you have no right to stay how i should live my life.

separation of church and state, people. the bible should have no part in decisions about this matter. you can't pick and choose parts of the bible to believe in - sure, you believe homosexuality is a sin, but meh, all those parts about owning slaves...well, we'll just pass on over that. either you believe it all and follow it thusly, or realize that the bible is not the end all/be all. or are you too stupid to understand my logic?

[rick]

i am so sorry i voted for obama

[Garick]

I'm amazed at the audacity of the gay community to try to impose their will on the people. Marriage is defined as one man and one woman. This is a religious and historical definition, yet the gay community wants to change it. If it were changed, pretty soon you would have other challenges like it should also include one man and two women or vice versa. The idealogy is that gay people want schools to teach children that being gay is totally exceptable and an option. If your gay that's your choice, whether it is biological or not. Don't try to teach others that maybe they should be gay too when they are not! A simple solution is to afford gay people all the same rights so that we are equal in that respect. Call it what ever name you want, just don't call it marriage. But no, they want more people to be gay by imposing their will on the people. Having said all this, my best friend and my uncle are gay. So if you think I don't understand...your completely wrong. I do. But I don't want the gay agenda to be pushed on my kids to make them think it might be cool or completely acceptable to go out and be gay when that is not who they truly are. If this was just about equality, they would have won by now.

[SickofThis]

It would now be completely understandable (and arguably justified) for gays and lesbians to support removal of all affirmative action programs and race-based policies/incentives, and to swing far to the right on immigration issues, including throwing illegals out of this country. I say this as a gay man. And I will now vote that way on those two issues.

[Rich Swanson]

The reference to "Gay" marriage is the typical liberal twisting of words. Only liars who don't want to admit what they are talking about refer to homosexuals as "Gay". Once upon a time, the institution of marriage was the union of one man with one woman for one lifetime. The liberals began attacking the institution of marriage with "no fault" divorce. Same sex marriage is just the next step in the destruction of the institution of marriage.

[brad]

For those equating race with adapting the homosexual lifestyle:

Ametican Psych Association: "Most scientists today agree that sexual orientation is most likely the result of a complex interaction of environmental, cognitive and biological factors."

National Association for Research and Therepy of Homosexuality: "There is no such thing as a "gay gene" and there is no evidence to support the idea that homosexuality is simply genetic. However, biological influences may indeed influence some people toward homosexuality; recent studies point to prenatal-hormonal influences, especially in men, that result in a low-masculinized brain; also, there may be genetic factors in some people -- both of which would affect gender identity, and therefore sexual orientation. But none of these factors mean that homosexuality is normal and a part of human design, or that it is inevitable in such people, or that it is unchangeable.
Numerous examples exist of people who have successfully modified their sexual behavior, identity, and arousal or fantasies. "

[jON]

blacks lack the education to understand the parallels of their fight and the gays fight for equality.. much like the people that live in the backwoods. They refer to an adults version of Santa Claus as their basis for hate

[Very simple]

Ironic that the Mormon and Catholic churches, two organizations renowned for polygamy and child molestation, would push so hard on this. I propose a ban on Mormon and Catholic marriages next and stripping both churches of their tax-exempt status immediately.

[Jeray Goins]

These types of numbers show that our community still has a long way to go and a lot of growing to do. Until we break free from the stronghold of the black church our views will continue to be overwhelmingly myopic.

[Lindsey]

It is because being homosexual is a choice, it is not a civil right. There is no "gay gene" , it's a matter of sexual preference. You cannot compare being homosexual with someone who is born of "color".

[trai_dep]

How ironic that an out-of-state church, infamous for discriminating against Blacks, and who followed such bizarre marriage practices that they had to flee polite society until they founded their own state, so effectively taught minorities how to discriminate against other minorities. Whose polygamous teachings, by the way, are justified by Bible verse. Divide and conquer, divide and conquer.

[Annoyed with ignorance]

I think the first thing you all need to do is RE-read the article. It does not "blame" the outcome on minorities. It is simply stating a fact that 7 out 10 African-American voters backed Prop 8. The real question though is how many total African Americans turned out compared to white voters?

Secondly, those who support Prop 8 and throw the Bible around need to remember that the Bible was written by man. Not by God. It was these men who interpreted what they "experienced" and wrote it all down. Don't you think that over ALL of this time that things would change? Like it was stated earlier the Bible says that one cannot wear clothing of two materials, do we still follow that? The Constitution over the years has evolved to fit in with the current times, and some of you need to accept this, it will evolve to include same sex marriages.

Thirdly, how does same sex marriage, affect the religious? Are they coming to your house and knocking on your door trying to recruit you? No. They are two consenting people who want to devote their lives to each other. I wouldn't be surprised if the gay marriage statistics are better in terms of success rate that straight marriages. Also, how many marriages produce children? Does EVERYONE get married to procreate? Is that a requirement? Should that be a requirement? Don't we have enough people in this world? Marriage does not mean what it used to when this country was built. Marriage is only about procreating. In this day and age, marriage is about the union of two people who have certain rights to each other that a civil union does not allow. The marriage right protects the spouse, if for example, the other spouse has died.

This country was founded on having the division of church and state. How does a measure that seems to be backed by the MORMONS (who condone polygamy) get on the ballot? How is this separation of church and state?

This whole issue is not about church goers being bad, if you want to believe in something that's fine. If your "book of God/Bible" says being gay is wrong that let that be wrong for YOU who believe. Don't impose what you religious beliefs are on everyone else.

[Dalmond]

For the record, as an African American Christian I see irony that my own community voted monolithically for Senator Barrack Obama then voted against Prop 8. In good conscience I could not support either one. The fact that the President elect stands for the perpertuation of the prenatal lynching of Black babies within the womb is just one of many issues that would not allow me to support the man.

The generation of abolitionists (Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglass, Wilberforce) and the millions of Americans who were aborted will one day rise up and testify against this generation. May God open the eyes of the elect who still slumber. He who has an ear to hear let them hear.

[cbk16]

Most Christians believe Gay Marriage is wrong, however this does not equal hate, most Christians do not hate Gay's, they believe the definition of Marriage should not change. Having a social experiment where a child is raised without a mother is hate, not giving a child what history has shows works (a mother and father as parents) is hate.

[Walter]

Based on this article, a number of people backed proposition 8, not just African-Americans. We should keep that in mind and not just single out African-Americans.

In fact, 30% of African-Americans opposed 8. However this fact has not been reflected in the posts here.

As an African-American male I voted against a similar measure (Amendment 2) in Florida.

Nevertheless, there are those that feel upset, disappointed, etc., because they felt that African-Americans should not have backed 8. Perhaps that is a fair sentiment to have, but we have to consider the "diversity" within every group of people.

Within the African-American community (as in other communities) there are a variety of viewpoints. Some African-Americans are Republicans, Democrats, Independents. Most voted for Obama. But some didn't. Some are some for gun rights. While some are against it. Some are for abortion. Some are against it.

My point is that even African-Americans themselves can't assume that another African-American will share their viewpoint (See Ward Connerly, Clarence Thomas, Michael Steele to name a few). Instaed we have to actively court and seek their support.

How many in the gay community supported Proposition 209?

I think it's fair to say that some did. I opposed Proposition 209. But the fact that some in the gay community supported Propsition 209 did not move me to no longer support those in the gay community. As I stated above, I voted against Amendment 2 in Florida.

The lesson we should take from this is that we all need to use outreach and education to get the support of the groups that we expect to support us.