Proposition 8

Proposition 8 (officially called the Eliminates Right of Same-Sex Couples to Marry Act) was an initiative on the November 2008 California voter ballot which altered the California Constitution by defining marriage as between one man and one woman.The original title of the measure was "California Marriage Protection Act," but it was changed to "Eliminates Right of Same-Sex Couples to Marry Act" by Attorney General Jerry Brown to accurately reflect what the true meaning of the measure.

On May 15, 2008, in a 4-3 decision, California's Supreme Court ruled in favor of plaintiffs (comprised of gay rights group Equality California, almost two dozen gay couples, and the city of San Francisco), who argued that the 2000 law banning same-sex marriage in the state was discriminatory. The decision made California the second U.S. state to legalize gay marriage. Thousands of same-sex couples flocked to the alters. The ruling prompted an anti-gay marriage campaign, which resulted in Proposition 8's placement on the November 2008 voter ballot.