The church’s supposed anti-gay stance came into the headlines with the departure of longtime Scientologist Paul Haggis, an Oscar-winning screenwriter and director, who wrote Davis a much-publicized letter condemning the church’s seeming involvement with the anti-gay voter referendum in California that rescinded the rights of gay and lesbian families last year.

The church was listed as a supporter of the narrowly-passed measure, which amended the California constitution.

In the letter, Haggis gave vent to his frustration at the church’s lack of action in the wake of the alleged mistaken listing of Prop. 8 support, telling Davis that, “for ten months now I have been writing to ask you to make a public statement denouncing the actions of the Church of Scientology of San Diego. Their public sponsorship of Proposition 8, a hate-filled legislation that succeeded in taking away the civil rights of gay and lesbian citizens of California–rights that were granted them by the Supreme Court of our state–shames us…. I told you I could not, in good conscience, be a member of an organization where gay-bashing was tolerated.”

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