John Aravosis, the founder of the popular gay blog AmericaBlog.com, is reporting that Brendan Eich, the new CEO of the Mozilla Foundation, a Google-funded organization that oversees a number of ventures include the Firefox browser, donated $1,000 to help support Proposition 8, a measure that, for a time, banned same-sex couples from getting married in the state of California.
Aravosis goes on to report that Mozilla released a statement, which he claims is now run by an ‘anti-gay’ activist, that “[Mozilla] is deeply committed to honoring diversity in sexual orientation and beliefs with our staff and our community.”
Meanwhile, Martin Seempa, the American most associated with the promulgation and passage of Uganda’s odious anti-gay legislation, iterated his support for Eich blaming “heterophobes who oppose anti-gay bigotry.”
Ars Technica, described as ‘PC enthusiast’s resource’ is also reporting that others are coming to Eich’s defense. “Another Mozillian, W3C co-chair Daniel Glazman, offered support for Eich. Glazman attempted to divorce politics from the greater Mozilla mission: “We, as a community, cannot promote openness and freedom of choice without a deep respect for individual beliefs. A reminder of Brendan’s personal choices years ago is unfair and violates the core values of the Mozilla community.”
But Aravosis was having none of it. “I also have a slight bone to pick with this notion that donating $1,000 to an anti-civil-rights campaign in 2008 is a ‘personal choice years ago.’ No one is talking about the man getting a BJ in the bushes when he was 16. Brendan Eich was 46(ish) years old when he decided to help repeal the civil rights of his fellow Americans. Let’s not pretend that this was some youthful indiscretion.”
For his part, Eich went to great lengths to denounce his detractors while trying to portray himself as the victim:
“I’m not going to discuss Prop. 8 here or on Twitter. There is no point in talking with the people who are baiting, ranting, and hurling four-letter abuse. Personal hatred conveyed through curse words is neither rational nor charitable, and strong feelings on any side of an issue do not justify it. In contrast, people expressing non-abusive anger, sadness, or disagreement, I understand, grieve, and humbly accept.
“Ignoring the abusive comments, I’m left with charges that I hate and I’m a bigot, based solely on the donation. Now “hate” and “bigot” are well-defined words. I say these charges are false and unjust. First, I have been online for almost 30 years. I’ve led an open source project for 14 years. I speak regularly at conferences around the world, and socialize with members of the Mozilla, JavaScript, and other web developer communities. I challenge anyone to cite an incident where I displayed hatred, or ever treated someone less than respectfully because of group affinity or individual identity. Second, the donation does not in itself constitute evidence of animosity. Those asserting this are not providing a reasoned argument, rather they are labeling dissenters to cast them out of polite society. To such assertions, I can only respond: ‘no’.”
Update: In a statement released yesterday amid growing pressing, Eich released the following statement: “I am committed to ensuring that Mozilla is, and will remain, a place that includes and supports everyone, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, age, race, ethnicity, economic status, or religion.” But does he support same-sex marriage?
Brendan Eich has also made 22 donations to violently anti-LGBTQ Rep. Tom McClintock (the most recent of which was in 2010).
Why are gays so intolerant.? You want tolerance,but you never tolerate people who have another opinion. Therefore, you are beng hypocrites,
I don’t understand what the big deal is about this, he simply donated money to a political campaign opposing gay marriage. He hasn’t come out as a nazi gay basher or anything – again, he just happened to donate to that campaign. What if he just happens to be a religious guy and believes strongly in the sanctity of marriage?
Now just happen to be an atheist and happen to have nothing against gay marriage or anybody of any creed, but at the same time I believe in a free society – we must respect the right of everybody to express ANY view in a peaceful manner.
When we start taking the moral high ground with what people can and can’t say/ do to be (socially/ in society) acceptable, that’s where you start looking at a rather dystopian future.
Now I admit a society where gays are beaten and imprisoned like was happening in Russia is equally as grueling & despicable, but we must allow progress to happen in its own time — in a peaceful and positive manner – not buffered by negativity and fear, because progress bought with that is the route to an Orwellian nightmare.