Sean Penn on Prop 8: Shame on Mormons and Blacks

by Steven Mikulan

January 15, 2009 9:39 AM

Last night's L.A. Times Gold Derby blog presented a video clip of a somber Sean Penn at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards, where his portrayal of gay icon Harvey Milk had won the Best Actor Award. Penn did not look to be in the mood for a political discussion, but when asked by Tom O'Neil and Scott Feinberg about the passage of Proposition 8, the anti-gay marriage initiative, Penn didn't hold back.

"The Proposition 8 thing was a fiasco in California. Mormon movement should be ashamed of itself, the black constituency that supported Prop 8 should be ashamed of itself." Penn was less certain of whether or not a pre-election day release of Milk would have helped beat Prop 8.