Gay billionaire Peter Thiel donates $1.25 million to Donald Trump
Outspoken gay billionaire Peter Thiel is reportedly set to donate more than a million dollars to Donald Trump’s Presidential campaign.
Mr Thiel, a hedge fund manager and the founder of online payments company PayPal, is an avowed Republican
According to the New York Times, the billionaire is set to donate $1.25 million to Trump, split between his campaign and a pro-Trump Super PAC.
The alleged donation comes despite a storm of controversy around Trump, who has faced allegations of sexual assault from several women, following the release of a tape in which he bragged about liking to ‘grab them by the pussy’.
Thiel’s donation also comes despite the anti-LGBT policy stances of Trump’s campaign.
In a bid to attract support from evangelicals, Trump has claimed he would “consider” appointing ultra-conservative Supreme Court justices to repeal equal marriage, come out in favour of North Carolina’s anti-trans law, and confirmed he would sign a Republican-backed bill to directly permit religious homophobic discrimination – while his running mate Mike Pence has confirmed he would dismantle Barack Obama’s protections for LGBT people.
Thiel made history earlier this year as the first openly gay speaker at the Republican National Convention.
In his speech he said: “Of course, every American has a unique identity. I am proud to be gay. I am proud to be a Republican. But most of all I am proud to be an American.”
His presence at the event was slammed by some anti-LGBT Republicans.
Thiel recently funded a multi-million dollar lawsuit that forced online news outlet Gawker Media into bankruptcy, as “revenge” over its coverage that referenced his sexuality back in 2007.
The billionaire was openly gay at the time of Gawker’s articles, but claimed his privacy had been violated by the outlet.
He funded a lawsuit from wrestler Hulk Hogan after the site published a sex tape. Thiel said his actions in helping force Gawker out of business were “philanthropic”.
