Dan Savage highlights some disturbing exit poll data:

African American voters in California voted overwhelmingly for Prop 8, writing anti-gay discrimination into California’s constitution and banning same-sex marriage in that state. Seventy percent of African American voters approved Prop 8, according to exit polls, compared to 53% of Latino voters, 49% of white voters, 49% of Asian voters.

The Mormon Church ran a deceitful campaign that, among other lies, claimed that Barack Obama supported Proposition 8. While Obama clearly stated his opposition to Prop 8, he did so rather quietly. He also confused the matter by also stating unequivocally that he opposes gay marriage.

African-American turnout was considerably higher due to Obama’s candidacy and effective ground game. Obama’s failure to vigorously and clearly oppose Proposition 8 is all the more disheartening in the light of these numbers.

[Update: 11/07/2008 5:45 pm]
I have been properly schooled by Shanikka over at My Left Wing. I think her most powerful points are that, (a) the CNN exit poll data was small, non-random, and unlikely to be anywhere near accurate (she has ample reasons in her post, which I find convincing); and, (b) given the number of African-Americans in California, a shift in their voting pattern on Question 8 is unlikely to have changed the final outcome. She also properly notes that we’re not going to triumph by being divisive and pointing fingers, and I agree. We need to confront racism in the LGBTQ world, and we need to confront homophobia wherever we find it; and people of conscience need to come together to fight for justice.