San Diego Mayor Opposes Gay Marriage Ban

Republican Jerry Sanders, the Mayor of San Diego, was dead set on opposing gay marriage when the City Council voted to support it. Expected to veto the decision, he had an about-face and called a tearful press conference. He announced his daughter and fellow city staffers were gay and that he couldn't bring himself "to tell an entire group of people in our community that they were less important . . . less deserving of the rights and responsibilities . . . simply because of their sexual orientation," according to the LA Times. Proposition 8, which proposes an amendment change that would make same-sex marriage illegal, is on November's ballot. Proponents of it said the Mayor's change of heart inadvertently lit the fire under their asses to get the prop on the ballot.