And so it goes, again…

Thousands of gay and lesbian couples in California celebrated this past June when the state’s Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage, as reported here.

But November 4 saw Proposition 8, an amendment that overturns the Supreme Court’s decision, pass, with 52 percent of California voters supporting the ban on gay marriage.

The proposition was backed by a tremendous grassroots campaign, Yes on Proposition 8. According to the organization’s Web site, the group raised more than $40 million from more than 70,000 contributors and garnered the active support of 100,000-plus volunteers.

Some media voices attribute Proposition 8’s success to the large number of African-American voters who turned out to support Obama. In an editorial, the Los Angeles Times hypothesized that “many African Americans, who tend to have strong ties to their churches, believe that same-sex marriage is immoral.” This group therefore voted for Prop 8.

Need I point out the irony of a demographic of people largely conservative in their social views voting to elect a liberal Democrat president? Or that such a notoriously Blue state as California pass such a conservative proposition?

The LA Times editorial also astutely pointed out that the “No on 8” side never countered the Yes on 8 group’s marketing efforts with its own effective campaign.

Several celebrities, however, did stand up against the proposition. Ellen DeGeneres, who was one of 1,500 people married in a June ceremony, even paid for Public Service Announcements to air on television. On her official blog, she commented on the election of Barack Obama and the Prop 8 results: “Here we just had a giant step toward equality and then on the very next day, we took a giant step away.”

It’s true… As civil rights took a step forward with the election of a black President, it took a step backward when it comes to equality for all.

The good news, according to the LA Times report? In 2001, 61 percent voted down same-sex marriage. This year, the proposition passed by just over half. Baby steps.