The American Foundation for Equal Rights held a fund-raiser in New York City Wednesday night at the Mandarin Oriental hotel on Columbus Circle. The AFER is the organization that led the legal battle, led by lawyers Theodore Olson and David Boies, to challenge California's ban on gay marriage. A trial court judge struck down the statute last month, but the case is on appeal

With scores of first-time donors in the room, many of them from Wall Street, the AFER raised more than $1.2 million - with $100,000 coming in during and after last night's event.