Brad Pitt pledges $122k ahead of gay marriage votes

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Hollywood star Brad Pitt is pledging US$100,000 (S$121,700) to the fight for same-sex marriage in four states where its future is on the ballot on Tuesday, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) said on Wednesday.

In a statement, the HRC said the Fight Club and Moneyball star - a vocal supporter of marriage equality - was matching contributions from others in the run-up to votes in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota and Washington state.

"It's unbelievable to me that people's lives and relationships are literally being voted on in a matter of days," said Pitt in an e-mail to members of the group, the nation's biggest gay rights organisation. "If you're like me, you don't want to have to ask yourself on the day after the election, what else could I have done?"

Same-sex marriage is not federally recognised, but it is legal in Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont and the District of Columbia. It is constitutionally banned in 31 states.