Hundreds Proposition 8 Opponents Protest San Diego Hyatt, New Yorker Profiles Proposition 8 Plaintiffs, David Boise Argues Conservative Case For Gay Marriage, Report Claims Proposition 8 Results Rigged

Hundreds of demonstrators Saturday in San Diego, California, gathered in front of the Manchester Grand Hyatt there to protest owner Doug Manchester’s support of Proposition 8, the voter amendment that overturned a state Supreme Court decision in November, 2008, and that prohibits gay men and women from marrying in California. An assemble of gay rights activists and union member representing hotel workers picketed the American Historical Association, which went ahead with their annual conference instead of cancelling and incurring financial penalties. However, a number of delegates demonstrated their support of the boycott, and the conference itself included several sessions on the historic evolution of matrimony.

The New Yorker offers a portrait of the plaintiffs in the federal case challenging the constitutional validity of Proposition 8 and asks whether it is too soon to petition the Supreme Court on gay marriage.

Theodore Olsen, one of two lead lawyers for the plaintiffs, writes in Newsweek of the conservative case for gay marriage, arguing that conservative’s maintain “an almost knee-jerk hostility toward marriage. This does not make sense, because same-sex unions promote the values conservatives prize. Marriage is one of the basic building blocks of our neighbourhoods and our nation. At its best, it is a stable bond between two individuals who work to create a loving household and a social and economic partnership. We encourage couples to marry because the commitments they make to one another provide benefits not only to themselves but also to their families and communities. Marriage requires thinking beyond one’s own needs. It transforms two individuals into a union based on shared aspiration, and in doing so establishes a formal investment in the well-being of society. The fact that individuals who happen to be gay want to share in this vital social institution is evidence that conservative ideals enjoy widespread acceptance. Conservatives should celebrate this, rather than lament it.”

Meanwhile a report by the Election Defense Alliance contends that the Proposition 8 election was in fact compromised, and that the results fraudulent.