Final answer:
Proposition 8 was a 2008 California ballot proposition that amended the state Constitution to define marriage exclusively as a union between a man and a woman, effectively banning same-sex marriage. It was later overturned by federal courts and ultimately made moot by the Supreme Court's nationwide legalization of same-sex marriage in 2015.
Step-by-step explanation:
What is Proposition 8?
Proposition 8 was a California ballot proposition that passed in the November 2008 state elections. Its official title was "Eliminates Rights of Same-Sex Couples to Marry" and a 'yes' vote on Proposition 8 amended the state Constitution to define marriage as exclusively between a man and a woman. This legal restriction meant that same-sex couples could no longer legally marry within the state of California.
The passage of Proposition 8 caused a significant backlash and a series of legal challenges. In 2013, the Supreme Court of the United States dismissed an appeal in Hollingsworth v. Perry, leading to the Ninth Circuit's decision to strike down Proposition 8 as unconstitutional. This decision ultimately reinstated the right to same-sex marriage in California.
Further momentum for the same-sex marriage movement continued, and in 2015, the Supreme Court in Obergefell v. Hodges legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, ensuring that individual state bans, like the one proposition 8 had instituted, could no longer stand.