Bill & Melinda Gates Give $500K To Approve R-74

http://washingtonunitedformarriage.org/washington-united-for-marriage-salutes-signature-gifts-from-mayor-bloomberg-and-bill-melinda-gates-in-closing-days/! Although he had previously given $100,000 as part of a pair of six-figure donations by the current and former CEOs of Microsoft corporation to support marriage equality in Washington, it was announced on Tuesday that Bill and Melinda Gates wrote another check, this time for $500,000, to approve Referendum 74.

Bill and Melinda Gates have donated $500,000 to the campaign to uphold the state's gay marriage law. 

The donation was announced Tuesday by Washington United for Marriage, which is working to approve Referendum 74. The donation was made on Oct. 15, but didn't publicly post online with the Public Disclosure Commission until Tuesday. Referendum 74 asks voters to either approve or reject the law allowing same-sex marriage that was passed by the Legislature earlier this year.
Bill Gates had made a $100,000 contribution to the campaign earlier this year. 

About $11 million has been spent on the campaign so far, with a bulk of it spent by gay marriage supporters. Washington United for Marriage has far outraised its opponents, bringing in nearly $11 million compared to the more than $2 million raised so far by Preserve Marriage Washington, which opposes the law.

The Gates' are not the only billionaires to show their support for marriage equality. Mike Bloomberg, Mayor of New York City, has announced that he will match dollar-for-dollar all donations up to $250,000, which could end up raising another $500,000 for Approve Referendum 74.

Hat/tip to Joe.My.God