One week after California voted — for the second time — to protect marriage as the union of one man and one woman, the anger from the gay community has failed to subside.
Over the weekend, protests of Proposition 8 continued in Sacramento, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego — as well as outside Rick Warren's Saddleback Church.
Now, gay activists are calling for a boycott of Utah, which takes in $6 billion from tourism every year. They are seeking to punish the Mormon Church for promoting California's marriage-protection amendment. Thousands of Mormons worked as grassroots volunteers and donated to the campaign, The Associated Press reported.
Kim Farah, spokeswoman for the Mormon Church, said it is disturbing that the church is being singled out for exercising its right to speak out in a free election.
"While those who disagree with our position on Proposition 8 have the right to make their feelings known, it is wrong to target the Church and its sacred places of worship for being part of the democratic process," she said in a statement.
Caleb H. Price, research analyst at Focus on the Family, said people of all faiths should be troubled by how the Mormon Church has been singled out.
"Who will they come after next?" he asked. "Gay activists and their allies are doing the very thing they accuse others of doing to them — bullying and harassing those who hold differing viewpoints.
"The irony is striking and even a little bit frightening."
— Jennifer Mesko
