Following the controversy surrounding Mozilla’s new CEO Brendan Eich’s support of Prop. 8, a measure that, for a time, banned same-sex couples from getting married in the state of California, Mozilla have issued a statement stating their unequivocal support of marriage equality.
Mitchell Baker, chair of the Mozilla Foundation, and Mark Surman, Mozilla Foundation executive director, have done the same – both coming out in support of LGBT equality.
The Mozilla statement follows:
Over the past few days we have been asked a number of questions about Brendan Eich’s appointment as CEO. This post is to clarify Mozilla’s official support of equality and inclusion for LGBT people.
Mozilla’s mission is to make the Web more open so that humanity is stronger, more inclusive and more just. This is why Mozilla supports equality for all, including marriage equality for LGBT couples. No matter who you are or who you love, everyone deserves the same rights and to be treated equally.
We realize that not everyone in our community or who uses our products will agree with this. But we have always maintained that as long as you are willing to respect others, and come together for our larger mission, you are welcome. Mozilla’s community is made up of people who have very diverse personal beliefs working on a common cause, which is a free and open internet. That is a very rare and special thing.
Mozilla has always worked to be a welcoming community, committed to inclusiveness and equality for all people. One voice will not limit opportunity for anyone. That was true yesterday and will be true tomorrow. Our Community Participation Guidelines state:
The Mozilla Project welcomes and encourages participation by everyone. It doesn’t matter how you identify yourself or how others perceive you: we welcome you. We welcome contributions from everyone as long as they interact constructively with our community, including, but not limited to people of varied age, culture, ethnicity, gender, gender-identity, language, race, sexual orientation, geographical location and religious views.
Our culture of openness extends to encouraging our staff and community to be candid about their views on Mozilla’s direction. We’re proud of that openness and how it distinguishes Mozilla from most organizations. Most of all, we want to ensure that all Mozilla users and community members know how deeply committed we are to openness and equality for all people.
Writing on a Mozilla blog, Baker stated, “Speaking as the chairwoman, I want to speak clearly on behalf of both the Mozilla Corporation and the Mozilla Foundation: Mozilla supports equality for all, explicitly including LGBT equality and marriage equality.”
Never mind that their CEO opposes equal rights for the GLBT community and will use his salary they pay him to donate to people and causes that will promote discrimination against the GLBT community.
“The Mozilla Project welcomes and encourages participation by everyone”
Translation: Mozilla welcomes all, gay or straight, to toil away at building software which retains control of the homophobe.
Better than this public relations, make Eich do one of the following:
1. Explain himself and stand the test of openness:
His opinion may be personal, but his action of funding the movement to strip away someone else’s right was public. He cannot hide behind the excuse that it falls in his personal domain. If he cannot be open about his public action, he does not abide by openness which Mozilla claims is one of its objectives, and thereby loses credibility to lead it.
2. Apologize and explain what changed him:
An apology without such an explanation is merely a ruse to hold on to the top job. He must explain why he changed his mind, including the possibility that he changed his mind to keep his CEO job.
3. Step down:
He cannot objectively lead people who are LGBT. After supporting the denial of rights of some of his employees, how does he support them? For example, let’s say you are his employee and you are going on vacation to get married and honeymoon with your same-sex partner, and will be getting pregnant or adopting a baby. Will you feel free to discuss these with him like straight employees do? More importantly, what is the emotional reaction he will have to these events in your life which he opposed you from ever having?