Jody Hall, the owner of Seattle's
Cupcake Royale, raised $7,000 in June for the campaign to approve gay
marriage in Washington state.
Referendum 74 will ask voters in
November to uphold – or reject – a law legalizing gay marriage
approved earlier this year by lawmakers. The law is currently on
hold pending the outcome of the November vote.
Hall, who owns 6 stores in Seattle,
raised the cash for the campaign by
selling a special cupcake. She was advised to set up a political
committee. Hall's campaign, simply called Cupcake Royale/Verite
Coffee, includes a campaign manager and treasurer.
In January, Hall thanked Governor Chris
Gregoire for backing the legislation with trays of rainbow-themed
cupcakes.
“I contribute a great deal to our
society – by providing amazing cupcakes to our customers, by
providing great jobs that come with health care coverage, and by
donating over 40,000 cupcakes a year to non-profits. Yet I'm a second
class citizen when it comes to my civil rights as an American. I'm so
proud of our governor for standing with the GLBT community in putting
forth legislation that may well bring equality to all in our state,”
Hall, who is raising 3-year-old Truman with her domestic partner
Kelly, said at the time.