Protesters demonstrate in front of Latter-day Saints temple in L.A.

It appears that many members of the church (also known Mormons) donated to the "Yes on 8" campaign, which was passed on Tuesday with 52% support. Similar constitutional provisions were passed in Florida and Arizona during this election, and such provisions already exist in 27 other states, with a further 15 featuring statutory bans on same sex marriages.

According to a member of the Los Angeles Police Department, the Temple grounds were vandalized by protesters, and a group of apparently non-LDS Hispanic women attempting to remove critical signs from temple grounds were attacked and beaten before police stepped in and arrested those involved.

Jeff Flint, a strategist for Yes on 8, has criticized the protest and related negative media placed on those Latter-day Saints who supported Proposition 8: "I am appalled at the level of Mormon-bashing that went on during the Proposition 8 campaign and continues to this day. If this activity were directed against any other church, if someone put up a website that targeted Jews or Catholics in a similar fashion for the mere act of participating in a political campaign, it would be widely and rightfully condemned."

F. Damion Barela, who had obtained a homosexual marriage to his husband five months ago, said, "I'm disappointed in the Californians who voted for this." In particular, he was bothered that some ethnic groups supported the ban. "To them I say, 'Shame on you because you should know what this feels like,'" he added.

In addition to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Proposition 8 was strongly supported by many other Christian groups, and was also supported by the Hispanic population of California (by a slightly majority), and overwhelmingly by its African-American population. Protests have targeted these communities as well.

Protests of up to 20,000 people were held in other cities throughout the country in opposition to Proposition 8, and some Latter-day Saints have left the church over the matter. Several other churches have been vandalized by protesters since its passage.

Reported by Wikinews.

Source are:

* Jessica Garrison and Joanna Lin "Prop. 8 protesters target Mormon temple in Westwood". Los Angeles Times, November 7, 2008
* The Associated Press "Thousands Protest Gay Marriage Ban In L.A.". CBS, November 7, 2008
* Paul Elias "Hundreds protest over Prop. 8". Deseret News, November 7, 2008
* Thomas Watkins "Protests sweep across Calif. on post-Prop 8 Sunday". Associated Press, November 9, 2008
* Paul Bishop "In the Face of Hatred". Meridian Magazine, November 7, 2008
* CBNNews.com "Churches Vandalized Over Prop. 8". CBN, November 11, 2008
* C. Johnson "Report: Mormon Families Leave Church Over Prop 8". ABC, November 11, 2008