On Top Magazine reports that proponents for Proposition 8, attempting to delegalize marriage equality in California, are raising $10,000,000 a month for their efforts. Leading donors include Knights of Columbus ($1,275,000), The National Organization for Marriage (nearly 1 million) and John Templeton, Chairman of the John Templeton Foundation ($900,000).
The website, Californians Against Hate include a full list of contributors with contact information. Californians Against Hate are calling for a boycott of the San Diego hotels Manchester Hyatt and Grand del Mar, both owned by Anti-Marriage-equality businessman, Doug Manchester.
In the San Diego Union -Tribune, Manchester claimed the boycott has had little effect on his business:
"As a matter of fact, we have picked up lots of business since the boycott began."
Manchester said he was disturbed that the Union-Tribune had obtained the e-mail exchange, which he called a confidential transmission.
A prominent developer, Manchester has been a generous political contributor. State records show that in 2006 he gave about $147,000 to a variety of largely Republican causes.
Manchester said he gave to the effort to ban same-sex marriage because of his Catholic faith – the church opposes same-sex marriage. But, he said, he welcomes gays and lesbians to his hotels and he continues to support gay and lesbian workers.
However, Manchester group CFO Paul Wilkins disagrees:
In a July 29 e-mail to Manchester, Paul Wilkins, chief financial officer for the group, said he believed "this boycott effort will cost you millions of dollars of lost revenue and possibly tens of millions of dollars in lost value for both the Manchester Grand Hyatt and The Grand Del Mar."
Further, he said The Grand Del Mar "is still struggling financially" 10 months after opening and the "absolute last thing The Grand needs right now is a boycott."
Californians Against Hate have also called for a boycott of Bolthouse Farms, something I diaried about back in June,, because their founder and CEO, William Bolthouse, has donated $100,000 to the anti-equality initiative.
A detailed list of top donors is here. Do with it what you will.
In similar news, Marriage equality foes are now actively mobilizing to defeat the California Marriage Equality Law.
Let's match them person to person, dollar to dollar, folks. Justice and fairness are on our side.
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Let's send a message loud and clear. We will not turn back progress!