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As the United States elected its first African-American president it also passed ballot initiatives in a number of states that ban gay marriage and limit the ability of gay couples to adopt children. According to Richard Kim, Associate Editor of The Nation Magazine, the no on 8 Campaign failed for three reasons. It was disorganized and slow to respond. It didn’t organize in communities of color soon enough. And it fundamentally misunderstood what the yes on 8 campaign was about. You can read Richard’s article on why prop 8 won at The Nation.

Activist and author Jewelle Gomez, Rev. Osagyefo Uhuru Sekou author of the forthcoming book Gods, Gays, and Guns: Religion and the Future of Democracy, and Alexander Robinson CEO of the National Black Justice Coalition discuss the role of the black church in organizing around prop 8 and why activists were unable to defeat the measure. There are protests planned throughout the country on November 15 and a demonstration on Wednesday, November 12 at the Mormon Temple in New York City at 6:30 pm. You can find out more about what's going in your city or town at join the impact.