Show Foes of Sex Same-Sex-Marriage Ban sound fund fundraising raising alarm Jessica Garrison Los Angeles Times Opponents of a campaign to ban sex same-sex marriage in California said Tuesday that a new poll shows them in danger of losing unless people step forward with more contributions to pay for No on 8 television commercials Although the opposition has enjoyed a healthy lead in several other polls officials with the No on 8 campaign held a conference call with reporters Tuesday to announce that their own poll showed the measure would pass by four points Opponents attributed the result to fewer television ads which is in turn a result of the No on 8 campaign falling behind inI in I 1 fundraising Although the Yes on 8 campaign has not yet filed its latest fundraising report supporters said Tuesday that they have raised at least 25 million compared with the 1575 million raised by bythe bythe the theother other side As a result of not being able to match dollar for dollar we have se seen n a change said Geoff Kors the executive director of Equality California which is fighting Proposition 8 the proposed amendment to the California constitution that would define marriage as only between a man and anda a woman The announcement pleased supporters supporters' of Proposition 8 I can understand their concern said Sonja Eddings Brown spokeswoman for the Protect Marriage Coalition She noted that although other polls throughout the summer have consistently shown Proposition 8 failing another recent poll from CBS and showed the race as too close to call Typically campaigns donot do donot donot not release their internal polling information But opponents of Proposition 8 are clearly hoping to spur donations by dramatizing the threat to sex same-sex marriage Steve Smith campaign manager for No on 8 said he wanted to be able to match opponents dollar for dollar If we dont don't get there voters wont won't hear our he said f fSmith messages Smith also said his forces are being outspent in part because of a surge in contributions from members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Latter Saints I I dont don't think we have ever seen a single religion in inthe inthe inthe the state so significantly participate in one political campaign Smith said Officials with the Mormon Church did not respond to mails e-mails seeking comment In the meantime gay and lesbian Mormons are criticizing members of their faith who support Proposition 8 pointing out that Mormons were once persecuted for defining marriage outside the traditional view of one woman and andone one nenian man nian The Mormon Church i teaches that we should be building families said David Melson assistant executive director of Affirmation a group of gay and lesbian Mormons Through measures like Proposition 8 they are working to tear families apart Its It's unclear how far ahead backers of Proposition 8 are in terms of fundraising The campaign tried to file its latest finance report on Monday the deadline for making the disclosure However Kate Folmar spokeswoman for Secretary of State Debra Bowen said the report was so voluminous that the states state's computer system could no not t handle it Technicians were working problem on Tuesday y Folmar said I I I I Also this week both campaigns ramped up their outreach to Latinos The Yes on 8 side began airing a commercial on dozens of Spanish television stations that warned that children would be taught about gay marriage if the proposition is not approved The spot features a little girl whose class reads a fairy tale about a prince who cant can't find a princess to marry so instead he marries a prince Campaign officials said the ad would begin airing in English soon too On the other side the No on 8 camp campaign ign announced rallies in Latino neighborhoods Times staff writers Dan Morain Moran and Duke contributed co this n to report 1 I |