Protests against Proposition 8 supporters

Protests against Proposition 8 supporters in California took place starting in November 2008. These included prominent protests against the Roman Catholic church and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), which supported a stance in favor of California's Proposition 8. The proposition was a voter referendum that amended the state constitution to recognize marriage only as being between one man and one woman, thus banning same-sex marriage, which was legal in the state following a May 2008 California Supreme Court case.

The highly-emotional, closely-contested nature of the voter referendum created a political maelstrom that was unusual in intensity for its time. After closely passing, the backlash from those who opposed Proposition 8 was widely covered by news media and was considered highly controversial. Anti-Proposition 8 activists looked up supporters in state-government-required donation documentation, then posted their names and personal information, and organized protests at their places of work. Many religious buildings were vandalized and Proposition 8 supporters received death threats, were mailed envelopes of white powder resembling anthrax, or lost their jobs or businesses. This method of shaming and forcing out Proposition 8 supporters was called a "mob veto" in a full-page advertisement in the New York Times by The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty and was signed by law professors, diplomats, civil rights activists, and heads of religious organizations, and many others cited concerns about bigotry against those with religious beliefs.

Proposition 8 added "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California" to the California Constitution. Proposition 8 was the most expensive proposition in United States history and sharply divided social conservatives and social liberals, as part of the ongoing American culture wars. The ballot initiative was approved by a majority (52%) of voters. Immediately same-sex marriages were halted and the legal status of the 18,000 same-sex couples was thrown into question. Supporters of the proposition included a coalition of religious and social conservatives that felt the court ruling had redefined marriage.

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