Ellen DeGeneres Supports Gay Marriage - Donates $100,000

First it was Brad Pitt. Then Steven Spielberg. Then others.

Now it's Ellen DeGeneres' turn to show her support for the defeat of California's proposition 8.

The original gay marriage bill passed earlier this year may be repealed - again banning gay marriage in the state.

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According to the a "No on Prop. 8" spokesperson, Ellen's cash will go to fund a media advertising campaign targeted at encouraging those in California to vote NO on the ballot initiative, which looks to define marriage in the California Constitution as "A union between a man and a woman".

Ellen's ad campaign will take her public plea, which she released Tuesday on the "Ellen" web site, to television stations in California where she will try to convince people to vote down the proposition.

Ellen married her long time lesbian partner Portia de Rossi earlier this year just months after California began allowing same sex marriage. Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson have vowed to tie the knot by Christmas.

Related: Sam Ronson And Lindsay Lohan To Get Married

While the "No on Prop. 8" staff would not provide details about the dollar amount Ellen donated, a spokesman for GLAAD said she gave $100,000, the same amount as Brad Pitt who was the first Hollywood celebrity to contribute.

Related: Pitt And Spielberg Give $100,000 to Tank Prop 8

Steven Spielberg and his wife, Kate Capshaw, also gave $100,000. Pete Wentz and the rock band "Fall Out Boy" has donated $50,000, as did T.R. Knight.
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Spielberg Donates $100,000 To Support Gay Marriage Proposition

Steven Spielberg is the latest power player and celebrity financial donor to rush to the fight against California's November ballot initiative that would overturn the state Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage.

Spielberg and his wife, Kate Capshaw, have donated $100,000 to fight Proposition 8.

Also known as the Marriage Protection Act, Proposition 8 would amend the state constitution to limit marriage to a man and a woman. If passed, it would overturn the court decision that made the state only the second in the country to legalize gay marriage.

In a statement to reporters, Spielberg said:

"By writing discrimination into our state constitution, Proposition 8 seeks to eliminate the right of each and every citizen in our state to marry regardless of sexual orientation. Such discrimination has no place in California's constitution, or any other."

Last month, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie donated the same amount to the cause, and other celebrities have quietly donated funds behind the scenes. The Knights of Columbus, in support of the marriage ban, weighed in with a $1-million contribution in favor of Prop 8.

This amendment could have an impact on celebrities like Ellen DeGeneres, who recently married her lesbian partner Portia De Rossi, and George Takei, Star Treks Sulu, who also married his long time gay boyfriend. Other openly gay celebrities like Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson have announced they would like to marry by Christmas.

Related: Lindsay Lohan And Samantha Ronson To Wed By Christmas?
Related: 2008 Top 10 Openly Gay Male Hollywood Celebrities
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