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The QC Weekender: All About Proposition 8

Last week, The QC Pop Five irked some readers by posting a naked picture of Brad Pitt next to a news item about his $100K contribution to fight Proposition 8, the gay marriage ban set for voting in California this November. One commenter said, “Brad is a good friend to the glbt community. How stupid of QC to use a nude photo of him in connection with another of his generous acts. Grow up guys.” Another quipped, “Using this picture is like throwing sh@t in Brad Pitts’ face. The man does an act of kindness and respect for gays and Queerclick does this. Why?”
Well, this is a gay porn site. We thought our readers would appreciate a naked picture of Brad Pitt (as they probably would any other day of the year) alongside a mention of his generous support. However, the commenter gripes highlight the importance of the California battle. So we’ve decided to cover the issue in this installment of the QC Weekender, complete with analysis, recent developments, links to groups on both sides of the issue, and a discussion of how it effects the international LGBT community at large.
Brad Pitt’s not the only big name fighting against Proposition 8. Just this week, director Steven Spielberg and his wife, Kate Capshaw contributed $100K, the California public utility company, Pacific Gas & Electric and the Levi Strauss jeans company, donated $250K and $10K, respectively. And the giant of internet search engines, Google, came out against the measure. Also, not all religious groups are opposed to gay civil marriage either, including the Episcopal Church. Those worried that Proposition 8’s opponents have less money than its supporters should keep in mind that such publicity generated by the above endorsements may well be worth more than any sum of money.

For those of you who were upset with our nude picture of Brad Pitt last week, here’s a more modest pic of the gay marriage supporter.
So what does the actual ballot measure facing Californian voters on November 4th say? Well, we happen to have a copy right here:
ELIMINATES RIGHT OF SAME-SEX COUPLES TO MARRY. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT: Changes the California Constitution to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry in California. Provides that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California. Fiscal Impact: Over next few years, potential revenue loss, mainly sales taxes, totaling in the several tens of millions of dollars, to state and local governments. In the long run, likely little fiscal impact on state and local governments.
As we’ve said before, the most persuasive argument in support of gay marriage has to do with money. Married couples with children contribute more economically than unmarried individuals. Just think of all the lavish accouterments for a wedding and child rearing alone and you’ll understand the millions businesses stand to gain through the pink dollar. Furthermore, lots of businesses see partner benefits as a good way to utilize a growing gay and lesbian workforce. The Valley Industry and Commerce Association (VICA), a conservative business organization in California, supports gay marriage citing potential revenue and streamlined benefits paperwork as perks. Their outlook mirrors that of 14 U.S. states who currently extend partner benefits to state employees in same-sex relationships. Doing so ensures that qualified gay workers stay invested in a company long term rather than leaving for better equity.

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