Oct 21, 2008 6:36 pm US/Pacific
African-American Vote May Be Key To Prop. 8
OAKLAND (CBS 5) ―
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The first gay couple to wed in Sonoma County seen during the vow exchange.
CBS
The battle over gay marriage has become the costliest social issue campaign in U.S. history.
A special target of the campaign is the African American vote, which is expected to be substantial this year because Barack Obama on the ballot. That may be a problem for gay marriage supporters.
Outside Oakland City Hall Tuesday, many leaders from the African American community rallied against Prop. 8. Five minutes away, at the Foothill Missionary Baptist Church, a 'Yes on 8' bus tour arrived from Chico.
The 'Yes on 8' campaign is banking on African American voters siding with them, against gay marriage.
"8-years-ago with proposition 22, the strongest community that came out in favor of proposition 22 was the African American community, and we expect the same to happen with prop. 8," said Yes on 8 Chairman Ron Prentice.
Complicating this is the fact that some African American voters don't like their struggle compared to the one by gays and lesbians.
"It is offensive to some people to draw the comparison between the struggle for black rights and the struggle for gay rights. I'm not offended by it at all," said Eva Patterson of No on 8. "You don't have to get into the oppression Olympics to say who's been more oppressed. We want everyone to be free."
An estimated 11,000 same-sex couples have already married in California since the Supreme Court made gay marriage legal.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
California's 1st Same-Sex Marriage
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