Supporters of an effort to repeal Proposition 8 have a green light from California’s Secretary of State to begin gathering signatures for a return to the ballot next year.

Karen Ocamb of LGBT POVreports:

Love Honor Cherish’s ballot initiative proposed by gay attorney Thomas B. Watson to repeal Prop 8 was cleared on Thursday by the California Sec. of State to start gathering signatures. The Los Angeles-based grassroots group has until May 14, 2012 to collect 807,615 valid signatures in order to qualify for the Nov. 2012 ballot.

A decision to move forward to at least be prepared to launch a repeal campaign was made by the grassroots group last October after Equality California decided not to lead a repeal effort because of the progress of the federal Prop 8 case and because they were concerned about community apathy and raising enough money to be successful.

If it qualifies for the ballot in November, the initiative would “repeal the current provision in California’s constitution that states only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California,” according to the Secretary of State’s website.

A three-judge panel for the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals is expected to issue its ruling soon on whether to uphold or reverse Judge Vaughn Walker’s 2010 decision striking down Prop. 8 as unconstitutional.