T-Mobile USA on Monday announced it
would back Referendum 74, the Washington state ballot measure which
if approved would uphold a gay marriage law enacted by lawmakers.
According to the Bellevue Patch,
T-Mobile will donate $25,000 to Washington United for Marriage, the
campaign to approve Referendum 74 in November.
“T-Mobile has a long-standing focus
on creating an inclusive workplace environment for our employees,”
Jim Alling, interim CEO of T-Mobile, said in a statement. “Our
support of this issue is a reflection of our culture, how we do
business, and our belief in the fair and equitable treatment of all
employees.”
Zach Silk, campaign manager for
Washington United for Marriage, welcomed T-Mobile's endorsement.
“We are very excited that T-Mobile
has decided to take this important step in endorsing our effort to
approve Referendum 74,” Silk
said in a statement. “As one of the top employers in the Puget
Sound area, T-Mobile's support demonstrates a commitment to
employees, customers and communities in Washington state.”
The Bellevue-based cellular provider
said more than 4,800 employees live and work in Washington.
Other Washington-based companies
supporting marriage equality include Starbucks, Microsoft and Amazon.
Last month, Amazon
CEO Jeff Bezos and his wife MacKenzie gave $2.5 million to the
effort.
(Related: Microsoft's
Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer support Washington gay marriage.)