Prop. 8: Backers on Southside and Eastside overcame foes on Westside

The battle over Proposition 8 in some ways came down to a battle between west and north versus south and east.

A Times database analysis of Proposition 8 voting in Los Angeles County shows some clear geographic divides over the issue of banning gay marriage. The database team produced a variety of interactive maps designed to help understand Proposition 8 balloting in L.A. and across California.

Here are some highlights:

WESTSIDE: Voters rejected Proposition 8 on the Westside by a large margin. About 66% of voters in Beverly Hills voted "no," as did 78% of Santa Monica voters. In Malibu, 69% voted no. Opposition was also heavy in the hillside corridor west of downtown from Echo Park and Silver Lake to Hollywood and West Hollywood, and also in the Mid-Wilshire, Fairfax and Beverly Center areas. That strong opposition to the measure jumped over the Hollywood Hills to the affluent "south of Ventura Boulevard" crowd and even farther north.

SOLID SOUTH and EAST: Some of the strongest support for Proposition 8 was south of downtown L.A., among black and Latino voters. In Compton, 65% of voters said "yes," as did 60% in Huntington Park, 61% in Inglewood and 63% in Lynwood. Similar levels of support were evident in predominantly Latino cities to the east, including Whittier, El Monte, Baldwin Park and Pomona.

ASIAN VOTE: Several cities with large Asian American populations -- Monterey Park, Alhambra, Temple City, San Gabriel, San Marino and Cerritos -- backed the measure. (Some of these cities also have sizable Latino populations.)

ALONG THE COAST: In the South Bay, the biggest opposition was along the coast. The beach cities -- Redondo, Manhattan and Hermosa -- all voted "no" by healthy margins. But on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, all four communities approved Proposition 8 (Palos Verdes Estates, however, did so by a thin margin).

FAR WEST VALLEY: The 101 Freeway corridor generally voted no: Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Hidden Hills and Westlake Village.

City with the largest "yes" percentage: INDUSTRY, 82% (but only 18 voters)

City with the largest "no" percentage: WEST HOLLYWOOD, 86%

Full analysis of L.A. County Prop 8 votes by city is available here.

-- Shelby Grad

Comments

[kent]

I think it should say "Asian Vote". People in Asia didn't vote on Prop 8.

[MatthewScott]

It would be "convenient"for us Anti-Prop 8 protesters to go away but "inconvenience" seems a minimal price to pay when you support laws that remove civil rights from others. The fight asked for by Prop 8 supporters is on....in the courts and in the streets. We're not going away and we have more energy for this than you! "When do I get to vote on your civil rights?"

[laura vasquez]

Prop. 8 organizers should have sent Latinos to convince Latinos, blacks to convince blacks, etc. Quit pretending that all minority groups are one big happy family.

[Chris]

Wow, that's almost like revealing the vote, especially for those 18 voters in the City of Industry.

Wonder if they're sitting around the coffee shop this morning, contemplating which three of them against the proposition?

[Monica]

It is misleading to recast this issue as a class and race issue. Clearly there were people for Prop 8 on the Westside and not on the East side. It continues the myth that gay rights are a 'white people' or 'rich people' issue. Additionally the tortured analysis shows its comical side when you take OC into account. If more men voted for Prop 8 then women would it show that 'men overcame women foes'? People are not monolithic within a category and pitting group against group (in this case in a forced manner) only serves shut down a sense common citizenry. It does nothing to advance civil conversation.

[oz]

I live in the "Solid" Southeast that's home to a huge Latino population. Being Latino myself, it was disturbing to see St. Helen's on Firestone and State in almost carnival mode the Sunday before the election - a big "Yes on 8" tent right in front of the church, lawn posters planted all over the surrounding bushes, adults and children alike waving posters and handing out flyers. The hypocrisy was unbearable. It truly is amazing the damage that old-world homophobia, educational and social ignorance, and religious dogma can do when joined together.

[Charles]

It's interesting, whites (and I too am white) tend to have fewer children, are more into materialism, and more into abortion. Latinos, who's native language of Spanish is gender based, are strong into family loyalty and large families. Blacks and Asians are also into strong family ties. I can see why Blacks and Latinos voted pro-traditional marriage. Yes, Blacks have had their history of civil right struggle, but obviously they don't equate civil rights to the weakening of the traditional child-bearing families. As a White, I am grieve that Whites are not more like Blacks, Latinos and Asians in this regard.

[Jessica]

I am upset that they are considering overturning our elected results. You cannot hold an election and then turn around and decide our voice doesn't count. It is what our country is based on. It doesn't matter what the issue is, the vote should be the last word.

[vito]

I wish the gays would grow up and accept defeat. They need to be men about this but then I remember that they are gay...
Vito

[Edward Williams]

Does our vote really count these days, when we have to vote twice to go against the same issue? The people have spoken through Prop #8 and that should be the end of this issue but it isn't. The people have spoken, God has spoken and that should settle it, but we have people in the gay community that are just like the people of Sodom and Gomorrah that are insistent on pushing their will upon us.

The Bible condems this lifestyle as sin in Leviticus 18 and Romans chapter 1, just to name two. The Penal Code describes Sodomy as a crime, a Felony in fact all over the world Sodomy is a crime and yet we are asked to legalize a criminal act. This is an unnatural act and we need to repent and turn from wickeness, why is there even a question on this topic.

The courts have already granted too much in delving out civil unions and now they want more, when is enough enough; can we come back to morality in this nation and stop being afraid to tell this community of homosexual individuals they are wrong? We have no problem telling the robbersy suspect he is wrong, we have no problem telling the rapist he or she is wrong and there is no problem identifying the child molester as a criminal but when it comes to sodomy we become blind. Incidently that is what happened to the men who wanted to have sex with the angels in Sodom and Gomorrah, the angels struck them blind and today they still have not regained their sight.

Can we man up and tell the Governor he is wrong, the Calfiornia Supreme Court they are wrong and the bleeding heart liberals they are wrong? Oh, we did already, we voted twice and said it loud and clear it is sin! Marriage is between a man and a woman ONLY, if you placed the homosexual males on an island and left them all there for 40 years would there be any increase in their society or would the numbers fade away? Marriage is for procreation and not for your recreation, so we need to understand that marriage is a Judeo/Christian institution and there is no biblical or secular foundation to support that homosexuals are born as gay individuals as a Black man is born or an Asian man. We were a country that had a level of morality but we have lost our way.

America wake up and come back to God. God bless

[Charles Levin]

Where does the Mormon and Catholic church get off defining marriage as a state which exists only between men and women. No church can directly or indirectly circumscribe anything in the laws of this land. The measure should never have been on a ballot, and certainly, not voted on. You cannot vote to take away the civil rights of another group of human beings. That is unconstitutional. You cannot vote by pleibiscite to claim privilege over societal norms. Say I wanted to define circumcision. Just for laughs. Or perhaps birth. Birth must be between a mother and her child, her male child. Problem?

[Zach]

A tale of one city within the story of a state. Los Angeles didn't pass Prop 8 alone and people should remember that before getting all riled up about how the blacks or latinos done the gays wrong.

[Zach]

A tale of one city within the story of a state. Los Angeles didn't pass Prop 8 alone and people should remember that before getting all riled up about how the blacks or latinos done the gays wrong.

[Zach]

A tale of one city within the story of a state. Los Angeles didn't pass Prop 8 alone and people should remember that before getting all riled up about how the blacks or latinos done the gays wrong.

[Charles Levin]

This would be a great time to deny the Mormons their religious protections. Their's is not a religion. They do not have a theology. If they do, it is secret. If it is secret, it is for good reason. The writings of their prophet-so called-are the ravings of a lunatic and are thus under lock and key, never to be made public again. There are no hermeneutics, no study of the book of mormon, and no commentary or historical criticism. Why? It is forbidden. Why? This is a crack pot polygamist's dream that does not require faith in God or Jesus Christ or the Holy Spirit. Joseph Smith renounced them in order to create a new way. That way is the book of Mormon. A ridiculous comic book stolen from the Old Testament and filled with Zane Grey cowboys and indians and Jews and Jesus. This, I repeat, is not a religion, but a hoax. They shot Smith for the rapist he was. That is the theology of this Church. Serial Rape.

[Aloannca]

So…the way I see it is that a high majority of people who have been victims of prejudice…are now voting for prejudice towards another group of people. Seems to me like they have quickly forgotten how it feels. If you are a minority and have any memories about the negative experiences you have suffered, you should be ashamed of yourself for voting for Prop 8. I am a married white straight female with children and I cannot imagine denying ANYONE the right to have this happiness. Get over yourself and stop supporting any form of prejudice.

[Nathan]

So, the real story is about the affluent white population, once again, asserting its power over the poor and minorities. If rich white people want it, they will get it, even if they have to force it down everyone's throats. After all, the opinion of the majority of minorities is more valuable than the opinion of the minority of the majority.

But, I forgot, those rich, white people have helped us out, so we owe them now and so we should just agree with them even if it violates our consciences and goes against our cherished cultural understanding of how marriage is defined.

[Barrett]

Once all these old bigoted dinosaurs have died off the change will come. Additionally, it is clear that the more educated you are the more likely one was to vote in opposition to PROP 8. This is yet another example of the less than unlighted electorate.

I think the next ballot measure should be to prohibit anyone over 60 from having sex, there no value, nothing good can come of it and it is biblical

[yours truly, Johnny Dollar]

"Thousands March in Protest of Prop 8."
again, the Lost Agenda Times has the wrong headline.
Correct headline would be:
"Millions and Millions Don't March/Have Spoken on Nov. 4."

[yours truly, Johnny Dollar]

Voters have spoken. "Never validate poor behavior."

[Joe of Hollywood]

If we were to go by vote totals, Prop 22 in 2000 passed with 61% of the vote. Prop 8 in 2008 passed with 52%. If the trend of the population towards support for same sex marriage continues, it is statistically possible for another ballot initiative to overturn Prop 8 in as little as four years. The activism and energy that is being generated by the protests is enough momentum to make this happen. The visibility of the protests and of gay men and lesbians in general is only going to help educate people. I predict that Prop 8 has a shelf life of ten years, at best.

[Matthew]

I could not have said it better Edward! I also look at nature and I have never seen any homosexual animals. Everything has a a fundamental reflection of nature...male fits the female. Look at anything on your desk, pens, usb jacks, plugs on the wall, electric circuits. I mean I hate to get so basic but its all fundamentals. Like Edward said, put gays on an island for 40 years and what happens. No life will be created on that island. Just a bunch of sandy...never mind!
By the way what is wrong with a civil union? Why must you have what my wife (a women) and I have? You have everything we have except the name, marriage. Why not leave that alone, that is what this is about just the name. You can go down to the court house today and get a civil union license and live happily ever after!

[Anon]

Please have courtesy to refrain from slandering a church you really have no idea about.

[Clint]

It is sad to read all of the hate-filled and stupid comments directed at gay men and lesbians in this forum. Yes Prop 8 won... because of bigotry and lies. But if you think for one second that we are going to give up the fight then you are more ignorant than your bigoted comments let on. This battle has just begun and I, for one, am perfectly willing to let it get ugly.

[Julie]

Matthew,

That is like saying, "Yes, you can ride on the bus, but you have to sit at the back of the bus..." and another, "Yes, you can drink water but you cannot drink it from the same fountain that I am."

You are downgrading a certain group because of certain differences!

Civil union is not the same as a marriage!

What difference is it to you "hetereosexual couples" anyways? This isnt going to take away any GIVEN right to you. Let us be happy with the one person that we have decided to live our life with just as you have!