Celebrities on Proposition 8: Reactions before and after

A MAJOR step forward. Everyone deserves the right to love whomever they choose. I am proud to be from Cali again! http://huff.to/c6CfTa

- Twitter  (Dan Steinberg / Associated Press)

Gay Marriage law overturned in CA!!! Thank god good ppl are being treated equally again! Now we need the rest of the US to follow!

-- Twitter  (Kevin Winter / Getty Images)

I am crying with absolute joy! Thank you thank you thank you for letting equality win. All men are created equal! Period!!!

-- Twitter  (Jason Merritt / Getty Images)

Very joyful court ruled against #prop8, it is a stain upon the CA Constitution. All families must be treated equally!

-- Twiiter  (Ed Reinke / Associated Press)

“Prop 8 was struck down! This news is amazing!!!! Its about time! Congrats to everyone!”

-- Twitter  (Charley Gallay / Getty Images)

DeGeneres: “Equality won!”

De Rossi: “I am ecstatic that proposition 8 has been overturned in the state of California. This is an incredibly exciting and historical day and a big step towards equal rights for all.”

-- Twitter  (Richard Hartog / Los Angeles Times)

“YEAHHHHH!!!!! PROP8UNCONSTITUTIONAL MOVING FORWARD!!!!!!!!”

-- Twitter  (Matteo Bazzi / EPA)

This decision affirms the full legal protections and safeguards I believe everyone deserves: http://bit.ly/cmM2Hq

-- Twitter  (Robert Durell / Los Angeles Times)

Melissa Etheridge: “OK, so Prop. 8 passed. All right, I get it. Fifty-one percent of you think that I am a second-class citizen. All right then. So my wife, uh, I mean, roommate? Girlfriend? Special lady friend? You are gonna have to help me here because I am not sure what to call her now.”

-- Huffington Post  (Peter Kramer / Associated Press)

Marc Shaiman, composer and co-lyricist of “Hairspray,” opposed the gay-marriage ban and voiced his opinion to Scott Eckern, the artistic director of the California Musical Theatre, who had donated $1,000 to back the state constitutional amendment. Eckhern has since resigned.

“I ... told him the idea that money from his salary that was, in a small way, made from a production of “Hairspray” and now been put to use to pass this bigoted proposition, truly hurt and sickened me and that no future project of mine would ever play his theater.”

-- Culture Monster  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

James Franco marched with opponents of Proposition 8.

- Connexion  (Stephen Lovekin / Getty Images)

Rose McGowan appeared at a West Hollywood rally where supporters of the No on Prop. 8 campaign gathered.

-- VPQV.net  (Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images)

Christina Aguilera spoke out against Proposition 8 during an MTV interview.

“It just doesn’t make sense to me why you would put so much money behind something that stopped people from loving each and bonding together.”  (Marwan Naamani / AFP/Getty Images)

Pink was among those protesting Proposition 8 in West Hollywood.

-- Access Hollywood  (Andreas Rentz / Getty Images)

Chuck Norris likened the demonstrations in the wake of Proposition 8’s passage to “anarchy.”

“Their pro-Prop. 8 votes weren’t intended to deprive any group of its rights,” he said of California voters who supported the measure. “They were safeguarding their honest convictions regarding the boundaries of marriage.”

-- Huffington Post  (Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images)

Outside of the 17th annual British Academy of Film & Television Arts/Los Angeles Britannia Awards, Sean Penn told reporters, “I think it’s one shameful aspect of where we are today … but I think that with time, common sense will prevail.” He is pictured here at a special screening of “Milk” hosted by the Cinema Society in New York.

-- Culture and Media Institute  (Stephen Lovekin / Getty Images)

Award-winning actress Patricia Clarkson was spotted on the red carpet for BAFTA/LA Britannia Awards at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, speaking out against Proposition 8.

-- 365gay.com  (Stephen Shugerman / Getty Images)

Madonna: “I am very sad to hear we didn’t win Proposition 8,” she said, according to a fan who attended one of her recent concerts. “But we will not give up the fight. No, we will not. Never! If we got an African American in the White House, we can have gay marriages.”

-- E! Online  (Carlos Osorio / Associated Press)

Loni Anderson is among many celebrities who were in a No on 8 YouTube presentation.

“I just recently got married myself to the person of my choice, and I would’ve been very upset if someone said that I couldn’t do it.”

-- YouTube  (Jim Sulley / Associated Press)

On Margaret Cho’s blog, she states: The fact that there is now a ban on gay marriage just kills my spirit, hurts my heart. I was deputized as a marriage commissioner in San Francisco in June, and I got to marry a gay couple and a lesbian couple at city hall, and it was such an honor and a blessing, and we all wept through the entire thing.”  (Jennifer S. Altman / For The Times)

Marissa Jaret Winokur is among many celebrities who were in a No on 8 YouTube presentation.

“I’m voting No on 8 because everyone deserves to be happy.”

-- YouTube  (Dan Steinberg / Associated Press)

In a widely circulated YouTube video, Molly Ringwald participates in a No on 8 promo.  (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Eric McCormack is among many celebrities who were in a No on 8 YouTube presentation

“It is so crazy that it’s 2008 and I’m standing here talking about this. It’s really nuts.... I’m voting no on Proposition 8.”

-- YouTube  (Reed Saxon / Associated Press)

Dana Delany is among many celebrities who took part in a No on 8 YouTube presentation.

“There is a difference between having civil union and marriage.... There’s something about standing in front of your peers and your families and saying that this is serious and that you want to stay together.”

-- YouTube  (Stephen Lovekin / Getty Images)

Samantha Ronson, on the passing of Proposition 8 (and the passing an animal rights bill) on her MySpace blog: “Yes, i am glad that the chickens will have more room and better conditions as they wait to die, but i just think it’s frightening that people show more compassion for tomorrow’s dinner than for the chef.”

Lindsay Lohan on Access Hollywood: “My personal opinion was no, because I feel like if you’re going to live in a place where you’re gonna have to spend more [on] taxes, you should have the same rights as everybody else.”  (Thibault Camus / Associated Press)

Ellen DeGeneres’ support of the No on 8 campaign has been well documented, including on her own show and on “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.” She is pictured with her partner, Portia de Rossi.  (Dan Steinberg / Associated Press)