Judge: Anti-gay marriage donors must be public

A federal judge has denied a request to keep secret the names of donors to California's anti-gay marriage initiative.

U.S. District Judge Morrison England Jr. ruled Thursday that the state's campaign disclosure laws are intended to protect the public and are important during expensive initiative campaigns.

Supporters of Proposition 8 had sought a preliminary injunction to hide the identities of those who contributed to their campaign.

The initiative was approved by voters in November. It overturned a state Supreme Court ruling that allowed gay marriage.

Reports that identify those who donated within two weeks of the election or afterward are scheduled to be publicly released Monday.

Proposition 8 was a California ballot proposition in the November 4, 2008, general election. It changed the state Constitution to restrict the definition of marriage to opposite-sex couples and eliminated same-sex couples' right to marry, thereby overriding portions of the ruling of In re Marriage Cases. The measure added a new section (7.5) to Article I, which reads: Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.[1][2][3] California's State Constitution put the measure into immediate effect on November 5, the day after the election.[4] The proposition did not affect domestic partnerships in California.