CA: Here Come The Ballot Drives

Two new California groups are working on 2010 marriage equality ballot amendments, but they have very different goals.

The first is aiming for a straight-forward (heh) repeal of Proposition 8.

"Our logic is that we should not put all our eggs in one basket and wait for the Supreme Court," said Charles Lowe, who after campaigning against Proposition 8 founded a Davis-based group called Yes! on Equality. "By doing so, we lose anywhere from 8 to 12 months." His proposed constitutional amendment would repeal Proposition 8, which holds that "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid and recognized in California."

The second group wants to get California out of the marriage business entirely.

Two heterosexual Southern California college students – Ali Shams and Kaelan Housewright – want to take the state out of the marriage business. Their proposed measure calls for the term "marriage" to be removed from state laws and replaced with "domestic partnerships." Shams maintains the measure would provide equality to all couples, regardless of sexual orientation, while preserving marriage as a religious and social ceremony. "This is a compromise," Shams said. "It says 'Get rid of marriage as a state institution. Make it a religious institution, keep politics out of it and stop the fighting.'"

The groups must get nearly 700,000 petition signature by August to make the 2010 ballot.