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A lot has happened with Prop 8 in the almost two years since it passed.
so let's get you all caught up
with "Everything you Need to Know About Prop 8
in Just a Few Minutes."
September 2008. The campaign's running at full steam, but it's in trouble.
Polls show our lead has evaporated. Our ads are lame.
October. Staffing and structural changes for No on 8. The ads improve but it's too little too late.
November. As soon as Prop 8 passes, the public is suddenly interested. There's lawsuits and rallies. Lots of rallies.
Everyone's mad: at the campaign, at Mormons, at African-Americans.
Lots of people want to get involved but don't know how, since the major gay orgs are unprepared for an outpouring of support.
Grassroots orgs step in. It's called Stonewall 2.0.
December. Everyone's still mad at the campaign and the Mormons and black people.
Stonewall 2.0 starts running out of steam with meager participation in follow-up events like Day Without a Gay and Light of the Night.
January 2009. There's more grassroot organizations than ever, but public interest is waning.
Stonewall 2.0's fizzle is becoming obvious.
EQCA holds summits to talk about the campaign. Courage Campaign holds Camp Courage to talk about future campaigns.
People are still mad at African Americans, even though new data shows that they didn't support Prop 8 as much as was initially thought.
Obama is inaugurated. There's renewed momentum for marriage equality in New England, and lots of enthusiasm for overturning Prop 8 in 2010.
February. The scope of Mormon contribution to Prop 8 is becoming clear.
Anti-gays mobilize in Maine. Planning starts for a 2010 overturn of Prop 8.
March. Vigils are held as the State Supreme Court hears a challenge to Prop 8. It doesn't go well.
EQCA forms a field plan and hires Marc Solomon and Andrea Shorter.
Everyone's still mad at the No-on-8 campaign, especially at Steve Smith, who decided not to use a letter of support from Obama.
More Camp Courages pop up around the state.
April. Iowa and Vermont legalize marriage, Maine and New Hampshire appear likely to follow.
Nate Silver predicts national marriage recognition in 15 years.
People start saying it's a tipping point, but Kate Kendell expresses doubt about 2010,
equality is derailed in New York and New Jersey, and everyone is worried about court challenges that could go to the US Supreme Court.
May. More Camp Courages. Everyone wants a 2010 overturn: Courage Campaign, Rick Jacobs, Gavin Newsom.
When the court upholds Prop 8, Robin McGehee gets a huge turnout at Meet in the Middle.
A political collapse in New York derails marriage, and in Maine the anti-gays start collecting signatures.
Perry versus Schwarzenegger is filed by the group that will become known as AFER.
June. *** Cheney supports marriage equality. New Hampshire OKs marriages, DC appears likely to follow.
Gay orgs are pissed when Obama defends DOMA. They start withholding donations to Democrats.
The anti-gays in Maine hire the firm that promoted Prop 8. A study casts doubt on the feasibility of 2010.
July. Marriage stalls in Rhode Island. Judge Walker fast-tracks Perry vs Schwarzenegger and gay orgs want to intervene.
Some gay orgs urge "Prepare to Prevail," favoring 2012 over 2010.
Experts agree that 2012 would be better.
A summit in San Bernardino gets tense when nobody can reach agreement on 2010 versus 2012, and everyone leaves angry.
August. Courage Campaign wants to raise $200,000 to decide on 2010 versus 2012.
AFER doesn't want gay orgs to intervene in Perry. A coalition of 2010 supporters organizes a convention in San Francisco.
Attention turns to Maine with volunteer vacations sending people to the state from around the country.
September. The 2010 convention in San Francisco goes smoothly, and a campaign structure for a 2010 repeal emerges.
Some guy floats a ballot measure to ban divorce. Polls in Maine deliver bad news.
October. Another productive summit to repeal 2010, this time in Riverside.
Obama delivers a speech to the HRC, but gays want action, not words.
California enacts Harvey Milk Day. EQCA's Marc Solomon urges further research in 2010 to improve messaging.
November. Equal marriage is banned in Maine. It's seen as a discouraging dry-run for a Prop 8 overturn.
The 2010 campaign starts fundraising and signature-gathering. Gays boycott Democrats, pissed over Obama's tepid support.
December. DC legalizes marriage.
Courage Campaign and Lambda Legal support 2012.
Gays want cameras in the courtroom, anti-gays want anonymity, claiming that they are persecuted.
The anti-gays' witnesses appear unqualified.
January 2010. Walker approves cameras in the courtroom. Anti-gay witnesses withdraw.
The US Supreme Court nixes cameras. Perry vs Schwarzenegger is heard. It goes well.
February. Judge Walker is probably gay, but everyone knew that already.
The 2010 campaign is behind on raising money and gathering signatures.
March. The gays feel cautiously optimistic about Perry vs Schwarzenegger.
The anti-gays are forced to reveal memos that they wanted to keep secret.
April. The gays are forced to reveal memos that they wanted to keep secret.
Polls show public support for marriage in California. The 2010 campaign officially fails.
May. The anti-gays try to strike the worst of their witnesses' testimony.
The first Harvey Milk Day happens. Attendance at rallies is high, but attendance at canvasses is low.
Everyone wants to party, nobody wants to work.
June. The IRS starts recognizing all California marriages.
An anti-gay witness has ties to a *** scandal.
Closing arguments in Perry vs Schwarzenegger go well. We might actually win this round.