Gay marriage activists in California are taking actions against companies and individuals who support Proposition 8 – the ballot initiative that seeks to forbid gay marriage in California once again.

Californians Against Hate was formed in July to admonish the largest donors of the anti-gay measure.

The group recently released a second donor-highlight ad and updated its top twelve list of Prop. 8 donors – the Dishonor Roll.

Top donors to the gay marriage ban include the Knights of Columbus, the political arm of the Catholic Church of New Haven, Connecticut, which has given nearly $1.5 million, John Templeton, chairman and president of the John Templeton Foundation, who gave $1 million, and Howard Ahmanson, Jr. of Irvine, California and the National Organization for Marriage, who together have sent roughly $2 million to the Yes-On-8 campaign.

A bold Internet-based commercial campaign by the group highlights the Yes-On-8 donations of some of its largest supporters.

Each ad is eerily reminiscent of the 1964 President Johnson commercial that ends with the detonation of a nuclear bomb, which was so frightening it ran only once.

The bombs in these ads are large donors. The first targets San Diego businessman Terry Caster, whose contributions to the gay marriage ban total $293,000. The second ad, released this week, goes after Elsa Prince, who gave $450,000 to ban gay marriage.

The group is also boycotting Doug Manchester's two San Diego hotels, the Manchester Grand Hyatt and the Grand Del Mar, and his McCall, Idaho resort, the Whitetail Club, due to the hotelier's reported $125,000 anti-gay donation.

A second boycott against food giant Bolthouse Farms was recently called off, after the company agreed to participate in a comprehensive diversity program aimed at the gay and lesbian community. Programs cited included scholarships, event sponsorships and supporting gay and lesbian community organizations.

Bolthouse Farms was originally targeted for boycott after its former chairman, William Bolthouse Jr., donated $100,000 to help get the anti-gay measure on the Nov. 4 ballot.

The “Don't Buy Bolthouse” campaign ended because the company “provided us with a compelling perspective which clearly demonstrates the separation between Bolthouse Farms and ... its founder, William Bolthouse,” the group said in a statement.

Californians Against Hate's accounting of gay marriage ban backers suggests that members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons) are responsible for nearly 77% of all money raised to ban gay marriage in the state.

“The new Mormon total is $19.5 million contributed by over 59,000 Mormon families in just over 3 months,” the group said in a statement Tuesday. Protectmarriage.com, the principle backer of the gay marriage ban, says they have raised $25 million.

Top Mormon leaders, known as the First Presidency, sent out a letter in June to be read at all California congregations asking members to “do all you can” to support the gay marriage ban.

“The church's teachings and position on this moral issue are unequivocal. Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained by God,” Mormon leaders said. The leaders also urged members to donate their “means and time” in support of the gay marriage ban.

On the net: Californians Against Hate website is at www.californiansagainsthate.com.