As many on this blog know, I have long been a supporter of same-sex marriage and gay rights. However, I have qualms about a story this morning that Mozilla Chief Executive Brendan Eich has been forced to step down after a campaign by an online dating service. The campaign revealed that Eich had made a donated $1,000 in 2008 in support of California’s Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage in the state before it was struck down in the federal courts. The controversy raises again the tension between free speech and corporate identity.
On Monday, OkCupid sent a message to visitors suggesting that they use browsers such as Microsoft Corp’s Internet Explorer or Google Inc’s Chrome: “Mozilla’s new CEO, Brendan Eich, is an opponent of equal rights for gay couples. We would therefore prefer that our users not use Mozilla software to access OkCupid.”
Eich, who invented JavaScript, apologized for causing “pain” and promised to promote equality for gay and lesbian individuals at Mozilla. However, the campaign continued to call for his ouster.
We previously discussed this issue in relation to the Chick-Fil-A controversy. In this case, Eich was targeted for a small donation to the campaign in 2008. Many people oppose same-sex marriage out of deeply held religious or political views. I do not agree with them but this remains a deep divide in our country.
Eich was exercising his free speech rights in a matter of great public debate. I happen to view many current laws as discriminatory. However, the Supreme Court has yet to rule that states cannot prohibit same-sex marriage and there is no indication that Eich would refuse to comply with such a ruling if it were handed down. Indeed, there is no allegation that Eich has been in any way discriminatory toward employees or associates based on sexual orientation.
However, Mozilla Executive Chairwoman Mitchell Baker indicated that, if anything, it took too long to can Eich: “We didn’t act like you’d expect Mozilla to act. We didn’t move fast enough to engage with people once the controversy started. We’re sorry.”
That is what concerns me. Should companies now move quickly to can officials for religious or controversial personal views? There was a time when people would be fired for supporting gay rights. What about giving money to presidential candidates like Rick Santorum who oppose gay rights generally? Notably, President Obama’s Administration spent the first few years in office defending the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell in court. Obama himself refused to endorse same-sex marriage for years in office 00 during the year period of this donation. To this day, the Obama Administration refuses to treat discrimination against homosexuals as the same a race for the purposes of constitutional interpretation. So why is Eich not allowed to hold such personal views in making donations?
I do not question the right of all citizens to launch such a boycott and to use their market power to influence corporate policy. Clearly, many people stopped going to Chick-Fil-A in such a protest. However, I have concerns over the basis for such a campaign when there is no evidence of political or personal views having any connection to the company. Indeed, the company appears a leader in non-discriminatory practices. Where do we draw the line in such cases? What about corporate executives below the CEO or contributions to political parties or candidates viewed initial to same-sex marriage?
Source: Yahoo
The IRS is involved in all of this.
http://www.breitbart.com/InstaBlog/2014/04/04/More-on-donor-lists-and-the-Mozilla-oppression
@klr re: “Three board member quit as a result of the appointment and it was controversial from the beginning.”
I read (in multiple posts by Mozilla employees, based on what they were told as employees) that two were already scheduled to end their tenure as board members following the conclusion of the CEO selection process, and that their departure had nothing to do with the choice of Brendan as CEO. John Lilly, on the other hand, did leave because Brendan was chosen.
Also, separately, regarding mentions in previous comments about stock values: Mozilla is a privately-held, not-for-profit, public benefit corporation. There is no stock to value. This allows Mozilla to answer to users rather than shareholders.
Gay marriage should be legal. Gay divorce should be illegal.
“the original purpose of marriage was to legitimize children and property rights”
The “original purpose” of marriage is likely unknown because it goes back before recorded history. If you are talking about the statutory purpose of marriage, then the “original purpose” depends on which jurisdiction you are in and which century you are talking about.
Tom – if you can prove there was marriage before recorded history, let me know. 🙂
Max, I had to look up who Ben Shapiro is, never heard of him. He’s actually policing the PC Police, as I see it. Kind of like Internal Affairs, or the “Rat Squad” as cops call them.
Max, you seem a person with a thoughtful, compassionate, kind heart, someone who is not a deciple of the extremist, millitant suspects waging a war against anyone and everyone who is in the way of ataining absolute power and domination, by whatever means, even if it means destruction of one’s reputation and livelihood. Am I right?
There was a backlash immediately within the company and from app developers after the promotion. Three board member quit as a result of the appointment and it was controversial from the beginning. He was never threatened, that I know of, as CTO but it was too much to promote him to THE decision maker for the company. The backlash was hurting the company.
We live in a country where you can be fired for being gay regardless of your work in the majority of the states. Many complaining about his being fired for his beliefs, on other sites and media outlets, do not support ENDA. So for them being fired for being gay is okay, but being fired for expressing an opinion is not okay.
There is another appointment to keep in view and perhaps will result in another reversal soon. If Glenn McConnell is forced to not accept his new role as President of College of Charleston or resign within the year for the good of the college, will that change your opinions about Eich?
Max-1 – lets start with the fact that I had two gay brothers who died of AIDS in SF. They caught it early on when the bath houses were open and running full-steam. They both died horrible deaths. I have lots of gay friends and just drove 600 miles to attend a gay wedding of lesbian friends who were finally coming out after living together 31 years (the oldest is 86). It was a joyous affair.
My wife is of a different race then I am. Her family (especially her mother) had a hard time accepting me). Part of that was complicated by the fact we were living together and not married. We would have had the same problems any gay couple would have had with a hospital, in fact did one time, except she convinced the hospital she was my wife. Every year since we have been together I have been invited to a party where originally I was the token white at the party with at least 300 people of my wife’s ethnicity attending. I know what your pain is like.
rcampbell wrote:
“This is being done in self-defense against the backdrop of many centuries of the bigotry you seem so desperate to protect and defend. …When people realize there’s a cost to their bigotry, they’ll begin to pay attention.”
You seem so desperate to see me defending bigotry, perhaps because your lens is too foggy you cannot see that what I’m defending is freedom — even yours. But lynching is more palatable on one’s conscience if who you’re going after is demonized first.
Something else, you seem so desperate to neutralize the core values and beliefs of people you do not agree with. If Big Pharma concocted a new drug that would homogenize thought, I fear you would be first in line to force-feed it to me.
As for the cost of bigotry, we’ll see how much Mozilla pays attention next time.
Paul,
Some things to consider…
How many States can YOU be denied housing Rights in for being straight?
How many States can you be fired, for being straight?
How many States can you get married in for being straight?
How many States recognize your straight marriage?
How many hospitals can toss you out of your straight spouses death bed?
How many States can refuse you inheritance rights when your straight spouse passes?
… Must be tough fighting the crusade of the Straights!
I seek to be equal. That is all. Yet, these anti-gay people scream that they’re the oppressed one’s when I become just a bit more equal to them…
… My heart bleeds for thee. Really it does(n’t)!
You haven’t lived a life expelled by a family for nearly 25 years just because you refused to be straight… You know, to please them and ease their discomfort of the ‘homo-SEX-YOU-All’s’.
That’s been my life…
… How is that anything like ‘LOVE’?
Maybe this can enlighten you to how the LGBT community feels deep down inside…
… We’re fighting for our future, and our children’s future. You know, more equal to you.
Don’t be hatin’ on that!
Paul,
How very little you know of me, yet presumptuous by will.
Who ever told you I voted for Obama, lied.
Assume what you must to make you point solid.
If I were to tell you I never voted for Obama, you wouldn’t believe me.
You mind is made up.
Max-1 – I said it was a guess, not that I knew your heart. However, you talk like you voted for Obama and are a solid supporter. If you are not, that is my presumption. If you didn’t vote for Obama, then tell me and I will believe you. I usually take people at their word, I come from the West where a man’s word is his bond.
Max-1 – you know those weren’t the numbers I was talking about. But I wouldn’t stake the ranch on those either. 🙂 And I know the Dems are having heart attacks over them.
Paul,
“I wouldn’t stake my ranch on his numbers.”
FiveThirtyEight Senate Forecast: GOP Is Slight Favorite in Race for Senate Control
By NATE SILVER
http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/fivethirtyeight-senate-forecast/
What you said!
Figured you could carry the water to randyjet for me. You were remaking the point.
Nick,
Isn’t Ben Shapiro acting like the proverbial P.C. police with his boycott?
Nate only picked 11 out of hundreds of firms in Silicon Valley. I wouldn’t stake my ranch on his numbers.
Paul,
Re: Pelosi.
Tell that to Randyjet, not me.
Paul,
Then why not refer to the original source of the study to make your point… ?
NVM
Max-1 Pelosi can be the worst female Speaker of the House and be the only one. The words are not mutually exclusive.
Paul Schulte
Hotair cherry picks to meet an agenda.
Bowls of pits, remain.