As officials count petition signatures that urge putting gay marriage on the November ballot in an effort to try to ban it again, the money contribution games have begun, reports the Mercury News. On the pro gay-rights side, large donations have come in as well as a half million dollar contribution from the Human Rights Campaign. Add that to the $577,000 raised during the first quarter of the calendar year.
"We've been overwhelmed with donations from the grass roots," Lorri L. Jean, CEO of the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center, told the paper. "We feel like we have to raise dollar-for-dollar - more than dollar-for-dollar - what they bring in."
On the other side, "[the] anti-gay marriage group, NOM-California, raised about $776,000 during the first quarter of 2008, although [executive director of the National Organization for Marriage-California, the group spearheading the anti-gay marriage initiative effort, Brian] Brown said that number has now eclipsed $1 million." Of what has been donated to the anti gay-marriage cause, 66% has come from California, a good number of dollars from the San Diego area.
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