Microsoft Executives Donate to Washington’s Fight for Equality

The founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates, and the CEO of the company each donated $100,000 to Washington United for Marriage, a group fighting to keep marriage equality in the state.

Washington’s Governor, Christine Gregoire, signed a marriage equality law previously this year.  Anti-gay groups, including the National Organization for Marriage have gathered enough signatures to put a referendum on the ballot to overturn the law this November.

“It’s going to make a tremendous difference,” Zach Silk of Washington United for Marriage said . “It’s very important for us to have that broad support from business leaders and companies themselves.”

More and more businesses are seeing the benefits for supporting marriage equality.   I’m hopeful that this move will start to sway the independent voters who in recent years have been swayed by vicious attack ads and anti-gay lies from organizations like NOM.