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Loading ...New Figures: Catholics, Evangelical groups outspent Mormons on Prop 8
02.05.2009 9:00am EST
(San Francisco, California) Newly released figures from the California secretary of state’s office show that the biggest contributor to the campaign to approve a ban on same-sex marriage in the state was the Knights of Columbus, the political arm of the Roman Catholic Church, which gave $1.275 million.
The conservative evangelical Focus on the Family, which fights LGBT issues across the country, gave $657,000 in money and services.The amounts vastly surpass the $189,000 in direct cash and compensated staff time from the Mormon church.
The new figures were turned over to the state weeks into an investigation by California’s Fair Political Practices Commission that institutional donors to ProtectMarriage, the umbrella group behind Proposition 8, had not reported the value of workers salaries and other expenses.
In November, Californians Against Hate filed a complaint with the Commission accusing the Church of Latter Day Saints of failing to report the value of work it did to support Prop 8. An investigation began in late November into the Mormon contributions and those of other groups.
Proposition 8 was approved by 52 percent of voters. Following passage of the proposition the American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal and the National Center for Lesbian Rights filed lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the vote. They were joined by additional suits by the cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles.
On Wednesday, the California Supreme Court said it would hear oral arguments in the case on March 5.
The lawsuits charge that Proposition 8 is invalid because the initiative process was improperly used in an attempt to undo the constitution’s core commitment to equality for everyone, by eliminating a fundamental right from just one group – lesbian and gay Californians.
They also say that Proposition 8 improperly attempts to prevent the courts from exercising their essential constitutional role of protecting the equal protection rights of minorities. The suits say that under the California Constitution, such radical changes to the organizing principles of state government cannot be made by simple majority vote through the initiative process, but instead must, at a minimum, go through the state legislature first.
California Attorney General Jerry Brown is also asking the Court to invalidate Proposition 8 on the ground that certain fundamental rights, including the right to marry, are inalienable and can not be put up for a popular vote.
The Knight of Columbus “charitable”? That would be like saying that someone who is giving you a hug while stabbing you in the back was “affectionate”. Sorry, but the “Knights of Columbus” are merely a tool of the catholic church that are used to do their bidding – no more. Whatever good they may do is more than offset by the pain and suffering their ignorance inflicts on others.
Jack McNulty: it is disingenuous to say the Knights of Columbus serves as a “charitable group.” There is nothing charitable about giving over a million dollars to deny us rights. They are a front for the bigots in the Church to funnel money into anti-gay activities.
The Knights of Columbus are not the political arm of the Roman Church. The group is a fraternal organization set up in distinction to the masonic orders which were forbidden to Catholics in the 1800’s. Today the KofC serves as a charitable group with focus on various needs like insurance and education. Sometimes they do respond to the call of the Hierarchy to address areas which they feel are outside the authority of the Church establishment. Most Catholics just pray, pay and obey. They don’t pay much attention to the goons who strut with the feathered hats and sword like they were part of a royal court. Sad if they in fact did fund opposition to Proposition 8. Maybe it’s time some members of the Knights of Columbus were outed publically.
I agree with the comments here about how the Mormons as a group outspent their church, but I also think the Catholic Church got off lightly this time around. Maybe the Catholic Church is just so obvious that we don’t react to it as strongly, I don’t know.
The Mormon church had its members individually donate. Over 70% of the money came from Mormons who were basically required (and in many cases actually assessed specific dollar amounts) by their church to donate. This is also not counting the thousands of volunteers they provided.
I’m with you Chris. We’ve had McClurken, The fat preacher..what’s his name..Warren and now this faith based stuff he is revamping instead of doing away with. I voted for Obama, and would do it again today given the choices, but his “faith” areas are of real concern to me and how it will effect our community.
THIS ARTICLE IS WRONG!!!
You are not including the amount mormons gave AS members of their church. You are just counting what they gave officially as church. 25 million dollars, that’s 7 out of 10 was given by mormons. Anyway, that’s why I stop visiting this site, it got too lazy (an entire month without updates in winter), and headlines like these. This used to be a very informative website until got bought by Logo. Well at least the Huffington Post has a gay page.
I rather believe the NY times about the involvement by mormons in prop 8 than a lame ass grab your attention headlines quasi blog.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/15/us/politics/15marriage.html?_r=1&scp=9&sq=prop%208&st=cse
If calling someone to task for their decisions in one area is “bashing” – then so be it. I am just as quick to praise the man (whom I have supported) – when he does good. Just because I vote for the guy doesn’t mean he gets a free pass on every issue and in this one area – he has given our community quite a lot to be concerned about. (also, its rather rude to refer to someone only by their last name).
Sullivan
Whats with the Obama bashing?. You sound like Hannity.
Just read this, if true – very disturbing and yet consistent of Obama in regard to GLBT people:
“Obama appoints homophobic minister Frank Page (former president of the Southern Baptist Convention) to the Faith Based Initiatives office that Bush created, and that we assumed the Dems would get rid of. Page is a strong believer in “reparative” therapy like Exodus International that claim to cure gays. He also spreads lies such as gay marriage will mean preachers will be imprisoned for opposing it. He also thinks that women should submit to and serve their husbands.”
Thanks for that melodramatic aside Carolyn. Obviously, if you actually read the post, it would be obvious that I was stating my views on this one issue… not about Obama in general… someone whom I voted for and donated money to. To say that I “hate” someone whom I don’t have any worthwhile history of trusting in this one area is absurd.
Christ Sullivan,
So, lets blame Obama? For what? Rick Waren? Why don’t you be honest and tell us the real reason why you hate Obama? I’m alll ears.
Nobody forgot about anything. We are all only too well aware of the ENDLESS stream of homophobia that is reaped upo our community from catholics, evengelicals, muslims etc. The Mormons too an especially active involvement on this issue and that is why they receieved the response they did – which was completely justified.
It appears out country is being controlled by these twisted cults and no level of real sanity is going to be restored until there is a REAL separation between church and state. I don’t trust Obama in this regard – he has slapped our community in the face more than once… the “reverend” McClurkin, Rick Warren and then claimed that it was a “miscommunication” that Gene Robinson’s invocation wasn’t aired (which is a bunch of b.s., as his own people control that). Obama has spent more time on his faith based initiatives already than he has on doing anything of substance toward our community.
Sad state of affairs in this country.
This is so embarrassing.Half the articles on this site or any other gay site for the past two months has been about bashing Mormons. We should demand answers from catholics, evangelicals,muslims, 85% of republicans,60-70% of AA, 65% of latinos, heck we should demand answers from everyone who voted for prop 8. Now that’s FAIRNESS!
MICHAEL,
Sorry man, but we are the hypocrites. We targeted one group aka THE MORMONS to protest and release our anger and forgot about the other religious groups e.g catholics, evangelicals, jews, muslims, scientology church,that hate us just as much. That my friend, is lame.