The Money Behind the Marriage Amendments

The spate of 2004 ballot measures that banned same-sex marriages in fully one-fourth of the United States generated more than $13 million in campaign contributions, according to The Money Behind the 2004 Marriage Amendments, a report by OSI grantee the Institute on Money in State Politics. The study found that slightly more than half of the money came from just three groups of contributors: organizations and individuals supporting gay and lesbian rights; conservative Christian organizations, such as Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council; and organized religion.

While gay- and lesbian-rights contributors gave the largest chunk of cash—slightly more than $3 million—contributions to pro-amendment committees from churches and conservative Christian groups together totaled more: $4.1 million, or about 35 percent more than the amount given by gay- and lesbian-rights supporters. The report also examines where the money went and provides state-by-state summaries.