Love Honor Cherish files proposed ballot initiative to repeal Prop. 8

09/24/09 request for title and summary of proposed initiative to repeal Cal. Const. Art. I, Sec. 7.5, adopted by Prop. 8

Here is the filing organization's press release, and here is a helpful ADF Alliance Defense Fund Alert about the repeal initiative. The proposed initiative has marginal exemption for religious liberty - marginal because the First Amendment already protects the religious-liberty interest at issue. So why has it been included? John Henning of Love Honor Cherish told the Christian Science Monitor:

Many churches would love to perform same-sex marriage, but we all agree that if someone else’s doesn’t want to, they shouldn’t be forced by law or courts. The First Amendment already gives this protection, but people feel better with the language in here, so we’re giving it to them.

It's still unclear why this provision represents anything more than a token gesture to those concerned about the wider (and disputed!) implications of the proposed repeal for religious liberty.

Having just posted on the Balde case, I take particular interest in this disclosure by the Bay Area Reporter:

The proposed initiative does not include a provision assuring people that schools will not be teaching about same-sex marriage. Some California schools do have curriculum that discusses topics such as LGBT-headed families. Including a provision addressing the issue is something that many in the LGBT community are opposed to, noted [John Henning, executive director of Love Honor Cherish.] There's a concern that "no matter how you write that section, there's a possibility there would be a chilling effect on what is taught at schools," he said.