LOS ANGELES, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Latino, black and Asian supporters of same-sex marriage on Monday said they would not rush to the ballot box to repeal Proposition 8 in 2010 in their efforts to regain marriage equality in California.

    Three leading lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) groups from diverse racial and ethnic communities said in a statement that education and other campaign goals must first be accomplished before rushing to the ballot to repeal Proposition 8 next year.

    The statement, named "Prepare to Prevail," marked the first widely supported public call by LGBT community groups and supporters to forego a rush to the ballot box in 2010 to repeal Proposition 8.

    The statement said by restricting marriage to different-sex couples, Proposition 8, a constitutional amendment passed by California voters in November 2008, eliminated the fundamental right of gays and lesbians to marry a committed same-sex partner in California.

    Proposition 8 overturned a May 2008 California Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage in that state.

    The same court also upheld Proposition 8 in May 2009, sparking a debate about when and how to return to the ballot with a measure to remove the sexual-orientation limitation from the constitution.

    Same-sex marriage supporters have pledged since then to repeal the proposition by going to the ballot box next year.

    "We want to win. And winning a political campaign requires ample preparation. For now, though, with little movement among voters on this issue and key components not yet in place for 2010, we need to take stock and focus on building our capacity," said Luis Lopez, President of HONOR PAC, a political action coalition for Latino LGBT people.

    Ron Buckmire, President of the Barbara Jordan / Bayard Rustin Coalition, an organization of Black LGBT people and allies, explained why the groups would change their strategy.

    "We've got massive economic challenges in California right now. And our own LGBT service organizations are struggling. We are all being forced to make difficult decisions. Investing in a robust, coordinated public education campaign about marriage is a wiser investment than choosing to wage another very expensive electoral battle at this time," he said.

    Proposition 8 was the most expensive ballot initiative over a social issue in California's history with more than 82 million dollars in contributions raised by backers and foes. At a time when the state is in a serious budget crisis, it seems unwise to start a costly ballot initiative to repeal the proposition.

    California leads the country in pushing for same-sex marriage. The state made same-sex marriage legal before Proposition 8 was passed. But same-sex marriage is not now an issue in California alone.

    In recent years, the debate over same-sex marriage has grown from an issue in a few states to a nationwide controversy. In the last five years, the debate over gay and lesbian marriage has been heard in the U.S. Congress, at the White House, in dozens of state legislatures and courtrooms, and in election campaigns at both the national and state levels.

    Three U.S. states have banned same-sex marriage and four states have legalized the practice in the past year.

    Opposition to same sex marriage is still very strong. So far 29 U.S. states have approved ballot initiatives amending their state constitutions to prohibit same-sex marriage.