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Under pressure from a right wing church, Microsoft pulled its support from a Washington state bill that would have prohibited discrimination in employment. On Thursday, the bill failed by one vote in the State Senate.
Dr. Ken Hutcherson, pastor of the Antioch Bible Church, had harrassed Microsoft and threatened a boycott if they supported the gay rights measure.
"I told them I was going to give them something to be afraid of Christians about," Hutcherson told the New York Times.
Microsoft officials blatantly lied in a poor attempt to cover their ass and said that recent meetings they had with the right wing minister didn't spook them. However, state Representative Ed Murray, an openly gay Democrat, told the Times that in a meeting with Microsoft's senior vice president Bradford L. Smith, it was made clear that the company was was buckling because of the reverend's threats. He also said that he was concerned about the reaction to company support of the bill among its Christian employees.
According to the Times, Murray said Microsoft's spin that the decision not to support the bill had nothing to do with the church was "an absolute lie."
I can understand possibly succumbing to this type of pressure if Microsoft were a fledgling company. But it is the 100,000 pound gorilla in the computer world. And where would the fundies turn during a boycott; to the even more gay friendly Apple?
The truth is, Bill Gates has no balls. King Bill already has more money than God, so he, more than anyone in the world, should be able to brush aside these threats. Furthermore, the fundamentalist boycott of Disney didn't do much good, except rid the park of obnoxious, preachy busybodies.
My solution? Switch to Apple. Not only does Apple produce superior products, they are moral and don't kow tow to some backward ass hillbilly preacher.
9 Comments
"Today, the princes of the Roman Catholic Church elected as Pope a man whose record has been one of unrelenting, venomous hatred for gay people, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. In fact, during the reign of John Paul II, Cardinal Ratzinger was the driving force behind a long string of pronouncements using the term 'evil' to describe gay people, homosexuality, and marriage equality. As a long-time Catholic from a staunchly Catholic family, I know that the history of the church is full of shameful, centuries-long chapters involving vilification, persecution, and violence against others. Someday, the church will apologize to gay people as it has to others it has oppressed in the past. I very much doubt that this day will come during this Pope's reign. In fact, it seems inevitable that this Pope will cause even more pain and give his successors even more for which to seek atonement."
- Matt Foreman NGLTF Executive Director
3 Comments
The tolls coming into New York City from the Newark airport are absolutely, over-the-top outrageous. Anything over $15, in my opinion, is no longer a toll - it's a cover charge that requires two free drinks upon entering the city. Unfortunately, Mayor Bloomberg has yet to get back to me on my idea.
