The Writing Is On The Wall In California

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 29, 2012

MEDIA CONTACT: Ana Beatriz Cholo, 312-927-4845 (cell), anabeatriz@couragecampaign.org

Same-sex Marriage Field Poll in California Shows "The Writing is on the Wall"

"This Poll is a Caution to the Right Wing That Leads the Republican Party Today," Says Courage Campaign's Rick Jacobs

Los Angeles -- A new Field Poll released today shows that support for same-sex marriage in California has increased dramatically with 59% of residents favoring same-sex unions to 34% who do not -- a now-25% gap since Prop 8. The poll showed that the largest increase in approval since 2010 came from middle-aged voters, nonpartisans and Republicans. Other significant gains in support come from Catholics, Latinos and older voters.

Poll Director Mark DiCamillo was quoted in a news story as saying, "This is real change."

"With 59% of Californians now in favor of marriage equality, including nearly half of those over 60, the writing is on the wall," said Rick Jacobs, chair and founder of the Courage Campaign, a progressive, online, grassroots organization with more than 750,000 members nationwide. "The public clearly believes that gay and lesbian couples are no different than their straight counterparts. We love, have families and build community as do all caring people.

This poll is a caution to the right wing that leads the Republican Party today. Even as Romney, Santorum and Gingrich fight to be king of the anti-gay hill, the winner may discover he's king of an ant hill."

Jacobs said the poll shows the effect that the Prop 8 Trial has had on public opinion. Two federal courts have recently ruled that Prop 8 is unconstititional, citing important Supreme Court precedent. With the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) on the ropes in courts across the land, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" a relic of the past and six states plus the District of Columbia having legalized marriage equality (and Maryland set to join them tomorrow), the Supreme Court would be out of the American mainstream if it overruled the California federal courts.

Courage Campaign's Prop 8 Trial Tracker, the #1 Google search result for "Prop 8 Trial," brought the Prop 8 Trial into the lives of people all over the world. Courage Campaign's Testimony story project helped the public see the faces of same-sex marriage like Ed and Derence, whose story made it in front of hundreds of thousands of Californians when it was featured on the cover of the Los Angeles Times. Along with colleagues in the movement, Courage Campaign intends to continue and expand that work so that marriage and full equality for all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, could be won.

Courage Campaign is a multi-issue online organizing network that empowers more than 750,000 grassroots and netroots supporters to work for progressive change and full equality in California and across the country. Through a one-of-a-kind online tool called Testimony: Take A Stand, the Courage Campaign is chronicling the sights, sounds and stories of LGBT families and all who wage a daily struggle against discrimination across America. For more information about Testimony, please visit, http://www.couragecampaign.org/Testimony.