New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg
has donated $250,00 to the campaign to uphold a gay marriage law
approved by Maryland lawmakers.
The Washington Post reported
that it had confirmed the donation on Friday.
“As a business leader and Mayor of
New York City, I do not believe that government has any business
telling one class of couples that they cannot marry,” Bloomberg
said in a fundraising email.
“Maryland will always hold a special
place in my heart,” he added. “I went to college at Johns
Hopkins in Baltimore, and have remained active in the Hopkins
community. So when Governor O'Malley asked me to support Question 6,
I didn't hesitate.”
Bloomberg, a Republican turned
independent, strongly backed marriage equality in New York and played
a key role in its passage there.
“Two years ago, I was proud to
support the effort to pass marriage equality in the State of New York
– and the bi-partisan support it received resulted in one of our
state's great civil rights victories,” he said.
While Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos gave $2.5
million in support of a similar referendum in Washington state,
Bloomberg's gift represents the largest individual donation to
Marylanders for Marriage Equality, the coalition of groups working to
approve Question 6.
(Related: Jeff
Bezos gay marriage donation prompts One Million Moms to say “so
long Amazon.”)