Stymied, Calif. Gay Activists Rally Grass-Roots Effort

Gay-marriage proponents in California are taking a page—and some staff—from the Obama campaign in an attempt to swing conservative votes, the Wall Street Journal reports. Many believe Proposition 8 passed because there was little outreach to districts that voted for the ban. “They would fly over from San Francisco once or twice and throw a few leaflets down,” said a lesbian resident of Fresno, in the conservative Central Valley.

A canvassing and fundraising campaign, modeled on Obama’s, will attempt to influence a future vote on gay marriage. Most believe the California Supreme Court will uphold the ban, paving the way for another proposition. But a Yes on 8 activist who tried the same tactics cautioned against optimism. It’s a “harder effort” than the presidential campaign, he said. “Most people don’t even want to talk about” it. (More gay marriage stories.)