I'm at work and really need to be working, but I couldn't believe this story. Microsoft just backed down from supporting a bill in our state legislature that would make it illegal to discriminate against someone because of their sexual orientation.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/22/national/22gay.html?
It seems we can thank the good ol' Antioch Bible Church for this one (gotta love those guys). According to the article:
Dr. Hutcherson, pastor of the Antioch Bible Church [Meg's note: a local church known for its incredibly antigay activities], who has organized several rallies opposing same-sex marriage here and in Washington, D.C., said he threatened in those meetings to organize a national boycott of Microsoft products.
After that, "they backed off," the pastor said Thursday in a telephone interview. "I told them I was going to give them something to be afraid of Christians about," he said.
The article goes on to say that he also demanded Microsoft fire employees who testified in support of the bill. Apparently, Hutcherson told Microsoft he could organize a huge boycott if they didn't back down -- and, while he might have been able to do so, I still think Microsquash execs are a pack of cowards for placing their bottom line ahead of their ethics. It must feel very uncomfortable to be a gay employee at MS right now...plus, how successful could such a boycott really be? Unless all of Hutcherson's supporters are willing to forgo using computer products for awhile, they don't really have a lot of options for operating systems.
I am most definitely buying a Mac. Consider this my anti-boycott-boycott.
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