Somewhat overshadowed by the election but nonetheless significant, Californians voted to back Proposition 8, a ballot measure that changes the state constitution to define marriage explicitly as the union of a man and woman.
The Mormon Church was in the forefront of the campaign to support Prop 8 - and there is now a furious backlash against it from the gay community:
Daniel Ginnes carried a banner declaring: "No More Mr Nice Gay." Brian Lindsey held up a sign billing Joseph Smith, founder of the Church of the Latter Day Saints, as a "prophet, polygamist, paedophile." Hundreds of others simply chanted: "Mormon scum."
More than 2,000 gay rights protesters marched on a Mormon temple in Los Angeles on Thursday, throwing the church and its followers on to the front line of the battle over California's decision to ban same-sex marriage.
Comments