Rep. Lois Capps will speak at a news conference in strong opposition to Proposition 8, at 11:30 a.m. Monday at the Sunken Gardens, 1100 Anacapa St. in Santa Barbara.

Capps will be joined by Mayor Marty Blum, county Supervisors Salud Carbajal and Janet Wolf and other local officials.

“I am strongly opposed to Proposition 8 and am urging everyone to vote No on 8,” Capps said. “The greatest promise of this country is the promise of equality for all. I believe this promise includes everyone, including our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters, sons and daughters. Proposition 8 would deny them the very personal right of sharing their lives with the people they love, and that is heartbreaking and unfair. And it would literally write discrimination against gays and lesbians into our state’s constitution. That’s just wrong.

“My greatest hope is that with this election we can move past the recent attempts to divide our society and come together, as one nation, to address the great challenges facing our country. Proposition 8 is a step backward and must be rejected.”

Sarah Ethington is campaign manager of the Friends of Lois Capps 2008 campaign.