Another reason to hate Microsoft

viscousmemories · #1 04-22-2005, 04:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sauron

NYT has now picked up the story:
http://nytimes.com/2005/04/22/nation...rtner=homepage

From that article (emphasis mine):

Quote:

Dr. Hutcherson, pastor of the Antioch Bible Church, who has organized several rallies opposing same-sex marriage here and in Washington, D.C., said he had threatened in those meetings to organize a national boycott of Microsoft products. State Representative Ed Murray, an openly gay Democrat and sponsor of the bill, said that late last month he had conversations with high-level Microsoft employees who mentioned the boycott threat and said that they could not support the bill this year.

After Dr. Hutcherson told Microsoft that he would organize the boycott, "they backed off," the pastor said in a telephone interview Thursday. "I told them I was going to give them something to be afraid of Christians about," he said.

Nice.

I have to say, from everything I've read about this today with that article just adding fuel to the fire, it appears probable that Microsoft withdrew their support for this bill under pressure from that Christian group. That's really too bad.

Sauron · #2 04-22-2005, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by viscousmemories

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sauron

NYT has now picked up the story:
http://nytimes.com/2005/04/22/nation...rtner=homepage

From that article (emphasis mine):

Quote:

Dr. Hutcherson, pastor of the Antioch Bible Church, who has organized several rallies opposing same-sex marriage here and in Washington, D.C., said he had threatened in those meetings to organize a national boycott of Microsoft products. State Representative Ed Murray, an openly gay Democrat and sponsor of the bill, said that late last month he had conversations with high-level Microsoft employees who mentioned the boycott threat and said that they could not support the bill this year.

After Dr. Hutcherson told Microsoft that he would organize the boycott, "they backed off," the pastor said in a telephone interview Thursday. "I told them I was going to give them something to be afraid of Christians about," he said.

Nice.

I have to say, from everything I've read about this today with that article just adding fuel to the fire, it appears probable that Microsoft withdrew their support for this bill under pressure from that Christian group. That's really too bad.

John Aravosis shreds the Microsoft excuse/response here:
http://americablog.blogspot.com/2005...-new-york.html

Short version -

Microsoft: "We didn't need to support this legislation because our company policy already provides for gay benefits."

Aravosis: "Yes. So? Your company policy has provided for gay benefits for the last 20 years. Up until now you've always supported this civil rights legislation. Are you saying that you've been making a mistake for 19 years because you just now realized that they overlapped?"