Microsoft Donates $100K to Bolster Gay and Lesbian Rights

Microsoft Corporation has made a $100,000 donation to gay rights campaigners in Washington, according to the AP.

The Seattle-based company made the largest single donation in favor of Referendum 71.  The mega-corporation donated on Tuesday to Washington Families Standing Together. The group is lobbying voters to approve Referendum 71, the ballot measure that puts a gay-inclusive domestic partnership law up for a vote in November.

Next month, the state will decide on whether gay couples should be given expanded rights under domestic partnerships law.

The law, dubbed by the media as the "everything but marriage" measure, would grant gay and lesbian couples all the remaining state-provided rights, benefits and responsibilities of marriage. The law was due to come into power in June but was put on hold.

Last week, the Seattle City Council unanimously approved a resolution urging voters to approve the referendum.

The anti-gay marriage group Protect Marriage Washington submitted nearly 138,000 signatures on July 25, which placed on hold the gay partner law that was scheduled to begin the following day.

Opponents say the domestic partnership law is unlawful because it violates a 1998 gay marriage ban approved by legislators and deemed constitutional by the state's Supreme Court.

Washington Families Standing Together has raised about $780,000 overall, and spent about $200,000. While the opposing campaign Protect Marriage Washington has raised about $60,000, and spent about $35,000.