California’s Proposition 8 Appears to Have Passed in a Bad Night for Same-Sex Couples

While the votes are still being counted, the landslide for Barack Obama did not put a few candidates (like Al Franken in Minnesota) or causes like California’s Proposition 8 over the top. With 63 per cent of the state’s voting district results in, the measure was leading by 52.4 to 47.6 per cent. As of Wednesday at 10:15 am, CBS was still calling the outcome uncertain, however.

The rollback on the California victory on same-sex marriage would be an obvious blow for the gay and lesbian community. With Obama’s election, it may prompt a return to a heavy litigation over a political strategy.

A ban on gay marriage was approved in Arizona and a similar measure appears close to passing in Florida. In Arkansas, voters approved a measure banning unmarried couples from serving as adoptive or foster parents. Supporters made clear their main target was gays and lesbians.

Ironically, the large turnout for Obama may have hurt efforts since a reported 70% of black voters voted against same-sex marriage.

For the latest on the vote count, click here.