After being shocked (shocked!) that their contributions to Yes on 8 were public and freely accessible to anyone with an internet connection, anti-gay-marriage-equality advocates have challenged the open campaign financing laws in California, in hopes that next time, they can fund homophobia in private. Attorney General Jerry Brown is on the case, arguing that you know–this is a democracy, stop cheating you asshats.
…In their court briefs this week, Brown and the state Fair Political Practices Commission said donors’ information should remain public.
“Political democracy demands open debate, including prompt disclosure of the identities of campaign donors,” Brown said.
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The law has withstood several previous legal challenges.
Sean
Again… the Yes on 8 folks were using the No on 8 list to “threaten” businesses who donated to the marriage equality cause but its not ok to have their information out there. Sounds like a double standard.
Jaroslaw
There was a compilation of opinion about this in THE WEEK magazine, especially about the “new map” of California – not being to the stars homes, but a map of Yes on 8 donors.
Fearmongers worried that every campaign would now find maps from both sides. (as if other campaigns have folks smart as us Gays! just kidding)
But Andrew Sullivan said it so well: (I’m paraphrasing slightly) “If the people who voted for Prop 8 are so afraid that it will be the demise of civilization for Gays to marry [then rather than be afraid their addresses are listed] they should be proud of their decision to be noted as contributors to the financial effort of passage…”