Brad Pitt donates $100,000 to help protect gay marriage rights

Brad Pitt has donated $100,000 to fight a political movement in California to take away same-sex couple’s right to marry.

In May, the state’s Supreme Court overturned a previous ban on gay marriage and the summer has seen a number of high profile marriages between celebrity couples, including Ellen DeGeneres & Portia De Rossi and Star Trek’s George Takei & his partner of 21 years, Brad Altman. But a new campaign, Proposition 8, wants a second reversal on the law to again ban the ceremonies.

In a statement accompanying his donation, Brad explained he was giving the money: “Because no one has the right to deny another their life, even though they disagree with it, because everyone has the right to live the life they so desire if it doesn’t harm another and because discrimination has no place in America, my vote will be for equality and against Proposition 8.”

Anti-Proposition 8 campaigners hope that Brad’s donation and clear statement will encourage other A-listers to donate money and their support to the movement.

Brad and partner Angelina Jolie have previously said they won’t marry until “everyone else in the country who wants to be married is legally able”.