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Was Prop 8 Passed with 'Discriminatory Intent'?

prop-8-discovery.jpg
Photo by Eheartsart/LAist Featured Photos on Flickr

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As the federal court case about Prop 8, which banned gay marriage last year, nears, lawyers representing two gay couples are seeking internal communications from campaign proponents in order to prove the law was proposed and established with "discriminatory intent." A San Francisco-based federal judge approved such a discovery for the case, which begins on January 11th, but Prop 8 proponents appealed, citing a violation of their 1st Amendment rights, according to the LA Times. Now three judges are expected to rule on the issue within a couple of weeks.

During the Prop 8 campaign, Prop 8 proponents often claimed that teachers "will be required" to teach young children about gay marriage. In a ruling, a judge ruled that the statement was "false and misleading."

Lawyers for the couples said internal documentation was essential to their case. They "produced one message obtained from a Proposition 8 proponent warning that the consequences of failing to pass the gay-marriage ban would include California 'falling into the hands of Satan' and the next step in the gay-rights movement, including 'sex with children,'" noted the Times.

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