Claims by No on Prop 8 Grow More Desperate as Polling Numbers Sink

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Oct. 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Polls continue to slide
for No on Prop 8 Equity for All, as reports leak out that the campaign's
management structure is in utter disarray. A series of orchestrated, factually
false press statements have been issued alleging the sky will fall if
Proposition 8 passes on Tuesday.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081030/DC42956)

"Clearly, this is nothing more than a floundering campaign grasping at straws
to save its effort," said Chip White, Protectmarriage.com - Yes on 8 campaign
spokesman. "It's quite sad because those who are hurt most are voters. We
invited the No on Prop 8 campaign to debate Proposition 8 this weekend in a
live, televised format, but it declined our invitation. If the No campaign is
so confident in its arguments, why refuse the debate?"

Claims reporting Proposition 8 has nothing to do with schools, to Proposition
8 will cause a high-tech brain drain, are being passed off as fact. These
claims are nothing but noisy rhetoric and last minute campaign stunts aimed at
confusing voters instead of educating them.

Claim One: Proposition 8 has nothing to do with schools.

Truth: A few weeks ago children in a 1st grade class attended their teacher's
gay wedding in San Francisco on a school-organized field trip. The principal
called it a "teachable moment." That sure sounds like same-sex marriage
instruction in schools.

This week kindergartners at Faith Ringgold School of Arts and Science in
Hayward, CA, were asked to sign pledge cards saying they would not use
anti-LGBT language. Parents who felt their children were far too young for
such a discussion, most at an average age of 5 who are just learning the
basics of reading and writing, were not permitted to opt-out, but instead had
to keep their children home from school.

As we have clearly demonstrated, California Education Code Section 51933
states schools "shall teach respect for marriage and committed relationships."
According to the California Department of Education website, 96% of schools
teach this curriculum. And under the Supreme Court's ruling, current
California law means marriage instruction includes instruction on gay
marriage. Thus, gay marriage is already part of the curriculum. Perhaps
because of these simple facts, Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack
O'Connell refuses to debate.

Claim Two: Proposition 8 would have no effect on a church's tax-exempt status.

Truth: The No on 8 campaign used a classic lawyer trick, rolling out a group
of lawyers yesterday to falsely state our concern about the impact of same sex
marriage on religious freedoms, and then saying our concerns are false. For
the record, the Yes on 8 campaign has never said that churches, acting as
churches, would be forced to perform gay marriages. However, it is clear that
where churches interact with the public square, in providing social services
or even conducting business, their tax exempt status is at risk.

In one well publicized case, Catholic Charities in Boston ran adoption
facilities that managed 700 cases since 1987, most involving children with
special needs. Catholic Charities placed such children into parents in
traditional marriages, according to their faith. After gay marriage was
legalized in Massachusetts, the state told Catholic Charities it had to place
children with gay marriage couples as well. Faced with such a decision,
Catholic Charities reluctantly decided to stop providing adoption services.

Another religious non-profit, Ocean Grove Campground in New Jersey, lost a
portion of its tax-exempt status on a rental pavilion because it refused to
rent the facility to a lesbian couple for a civil commitment ceremony.

Claim Three: Proposition 8 discriminates against gays and lesbians.

Truth: Under California's current domestic partnership law, (Family Code
Section 297), gay couples are awarded the same legal rights and privileges as
married couples. California has the strongest civil union/domestic partnership
law in the nation, and Proposition 8 does not take away any of those rights.

Claim Four: If Proposition 8 passes there will be a brain drain to
gay-friendly Massachusetts.

Truth: Gay marriage has been legal in Massachusetts for five years and
California still remains the epicenter of technology, biomed and other
science-based industries. If a "gay brain-drain" was going to happen,
shouldn't it have started 5 years ago?

"The claims being disseminated by the No on 8 campaign are preposterous," said
White, "and have no basis in fact. We realize the No on 8 has a new team that
has to justify their hiring, but cheap campaign stunts and false claims do not
serve the public."

Paid for by ProtectMarriage.com -- Yes on 8, a Project of California Renewal.
915 L Street, #C-259, Sacramento, CA 95814. 916/446-2956. Major funding by
National Organization for Marriage California Committee, Knights of Columbus,
and Focus on the Family.

For more information, visit www.ProtectMarriage.com

SOURCE ProtectMarriage.com

Chip White, +1-916-215-4392, cell: +1-916-215-4392, Northern & Central
California (Sacramento Press Office), or Sonja Eddings Brown, Los Angeles &
Southern California, +1-818-993-4508