Prop. 8: Disappointment at Leimert Park rally

Shortly before 10 a.m. at Leimert Park, nearly 1,000 clergy members and gay couples gathered at the Lucy Florence Coffee Shop in the heart of Los Angeles’ black community.

The location was chosen by gay activists to send the message that they would reach out to people of color as they launch on the next campaign to persuade voters to support the legalization of gay marriage. More than a dozen TV cameras were set up in the coffee shop’s small meeting room.

Seconds after 10 the crowd's BlackBerrys and cellphones began to vibrate. "It’s 6-1 against," a reporter said. Even though they had been expecting the decision, the clergy and gay couples appeared dismayed. “This is nothing short of an apartheid in our own state” said Rabbi Denise Egger. Marc Solomon, Marriage Director for Equality California, called the ruling a “real [discouragement] of justice” and promised that in the days ahead, the people of California would get to know the 18,000 couples that are now legally married and see that they “simply want to raise their families.”

Solomon said gay marriage supporters were planning to go back to the ballot in 2010.

--Jessica Garrison at Leimert Park

Comments

[BMH]

Decency has prevailed. Gay marriage or lifestyle is not normal.

[janice power]

when a loved one gets sick, they have the right to be there and make decisions on there health especially if they can not do it for themselves, there are millions of people without sibligs or there parents have passed on, no one has the right to do this, these people love each other so much just like anyone else in this world, I am not gay but I understand the importance of their rights! what is wrong with these people in California do they understand what they are taken away from these people do they??? I think it is pure ignorance and power life is to short, no one has the right to say who one can love

[MarkBoston]

It is now evident that the California constitution is a worthless document. The whole concept of a constitution is to ensure and PROTECT individual civil rights from the tierney of majority whim. When a constitutionally protected right is in place and a 2% majority popular vote can remove the civil rights of a suspect minority, it is NOT a referendum. It is a revision. What you have in place now is called fascism . Shame on CA and it's court system in being unable to protect it's citizens from religious fanaticism. Why do so many people need to feel THEY have a right to control OTHER peoples lives ? Mind you own life and business