Proposition 8 Ban On Gay Marriage

California's six most senior Episcopal bishops Wednesday unanimously declared their opposition to a constitutional amendment on the statewide November ballot that would ban same-sex marriage. The bishops argued that preserving the right of gays and lesbians to marry would enhance the "Christian values" of monogamy, love and commitment.

The campaigns for and against Proposition 8 have raised a combined $30 million, with donations given in support of the proposed ban on gay marriage running considerably ahead of those to the opposition. So far, the main group promoting the constitutional amendment, which would overturn a recent California Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage, has raised $17.8 million. The main No-on-8 campaign has raised $12.4 million.

IS HOLLYWOOD afraid of Proposition 8 -- or has it just been slow to notice its presence on the California ballot? The measure proposes to rewrite the state Constitution so that it prohibits gay marriage -- a suggestion that ought to raise the ire of liberal Hollywood. So far, however, the anti-Prop. 8 campaign has received only a trickle of high-profile entertainment industry money. As The Times reported earlier this week, Steven Spielberg and wife Kate Capshaw donated $100,000 to the effort.

Backers of an initiative to ban same-sex marriage began airing their first commercial Monday, warning that a loss could lead to gay marriage being "taught in public schools" and that churches could lose their tax-exempt status. Proposition 8's promoters said their initial ad buy was $10 million. They hope to raise $3.6 million more by the Nov. 4 election. Foes are spending roughly similar sums.

Grant Johnson, a 49-year-old traffic engineer who lives in the Sierra foothill town of Coarsegold, passionately supports Proposition 8, which would amend the state Constitution to ban gay marriage. In past elections, Johnson might have written a letter to the editor about his views. This year, he had a better idea. He made a video and put it up on YouTube.

It was supposed to be the largest mass lawn-sign planting in the history of California politics: A million signs in a million yards across the state, all stuck into the ground at the same moment in a show of support for Proposition 8. Except it never happened. It seems that the signs, some of them outsourced overseas, didn't all arrive in time for the September event. And many still haven't reached supporters of the measure that would amend the state Constitution to ban gay marriage.

The food fight is over. Nearly a month ago, opponents of Proposition 8 -- which would amend the state Constitution to ban gay marriage -- started a "soft boycott" of Bolthouse Farms, among the largest producers of fresh-cut carrots in the world and the maker of juices and smoothies sold in foodie haunts and upscale markets. Company patriarch William Bolthouse Jr. had donated $100,000 to help get the measure on the Nov.

A week ago, Father Geoffrey Farrow stood before his Roman Catholic parishioners in Fresno and delivered a sermon that placed him squarely at odds with his church over gay marriage. With Proposition 8 on the November ballot, and his own bishop urging Central Valley priests to support its definition of traditional marriage, Farrow told congregants he felt obligated to break "a numbing silence" about church prejudice against homosexuals.

Two groups of African American ministers held dueling lunchtime news conferences in South Los Angeles on Tuesday to rally support for and against Proposition 8, which would amend the state Constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman.

Apple Inc. said Friday that it was donating $100,000 to fight the proposed ban on same-sex marriages in California, taking a rare political stand that may win over some customers and irk others. The computer and gadget maker joined such companies as Google Inc., Qualcomm Inc. and Pacific Gas & Electric Co. in declaring opposition to Proposition 8, which would define marriage as only between a man and woman.