Susan Sarandon, John Waters and Ed
Norton were among the celebrities helping to raise funds in support
of the campaign to uphold a gay marriage law approved by Maryland
lawmakers.
Voters on November 6 will decide
whether the law takes effect on January 1 or is repealed.
Also attending Friday's fundraiser at
James Hotel in New York City were Thomas Roberts, Sandra Bernhard,
Barbara Bush and Russell Simmons. The event was organized by Josh
Charles and Brian Ellner.
“The battle is on in Maryland,”
Governor Martin O'Malley told the crowd. “And we all need to get
up for this fight. … We are going to succeed only if we help one
another.”
Baltimore native John Waters said he
wanted Maryland to be the first state to win marriage equality at the
polls.
“Why would anybody be against gay
marriage. It's hard for me to understand. No matter what your
politics are, we all know how hard it is to find anybody to fall in
love with, straight or gay,” Waters said.
Opponents of marriage equality
criticized
the high-profile fundraiser, accusing the campaign of “trying
to celebritize the issue.”
“Backed by Hollywood donors,
homosexual activists are already proclaiming victory in their efforts
to redefine marriage in Maryland,” Derek McCoy, executive director
of Maryland Marriage Alliance, said in an e-mail to supporters.
“They are taking their fundraising out of state where they can
attract major donors. We know that in spite of the millions that
they will receive from movie stars, Marylanders WILL NOT allow
marriage to be redefined.”