Mozilla CEO forced to resign for opposing gay marriage

[IGotWorms 4,060]

www.nytimes.com

 

A little over a week after becoming chief executive of Mozilla, Brendan Eich is stepping down after an intense debate over his belief that gays should not be allowed to marry.

 

After his appointment as the companys new chief, Mr. Eich came under heavy fire from employees and the public for making a $1,000 contribution in 2008 to support a ban on gay marriage in California under Proposition 8.

 

In an interview on Tuesday, Mr. Eich defended his views, saying that he was capable of separating his personal beliefs from those of the business he is running. Mozilla makes the popular Firefox web browser and is considered a pioneer in open source, a collective development process now common in the tech industry.

 

When asked Tuesday if he might resign, he said that would leave it up to the Mozilla board to decide.

I don't see what his views on gay marriage have to do with running the company. Maybe it could hurt employee recruitment but that's about it as far as I can see.

 

Also I think it's pretty unfair to base this on a campaign contribution he made back in 2008. It's not like he was CEO of the company at the time, where you could say that perhaps he was misrepresenting the company or something.

 

I think it's unfortunate when gay marriage proponents turn their cause in to a witch hunt.

[KSB2424 3,148]

www.nytimes.com

 

 

I don't see what his views on gay marriage have to do with running the company. Maybe it could hurt employee recruitment but that's about it as far as I can see.

 

Also I think it's pretty unfair to base this on a campaign contribution he made back in 2008. It's not like he was CEO of the company at the time, where you could say that perhaps he was misrepresenting the company or something.

 

I think it's unfortunate when gay marriage proponents turn their cause in to a witch hunt.

 

Who stole Worms's password?

 

 

 

[IGotWorms 4,060]

 

Who stole Worms's password?

I told you, I am not a "fringe" lefty akin to the Sarah Palin of liberals.

 

I do support marriage equality but I don't support people losing their jobs because they disagree on that point

[Sho Nuff 720]

Unless there is some clause about upholding XXX values of the company...pretty bad precedent set there to axe a guy for his personal beliefs if they are not interfering with his work.

[Frank M 181]

It's a hot button issue. Unfortunately he got caught up in it.

 

These tech companies are all young and media savvy now. If you're not on the right side of public opinion, all it takes to keep people from using your product and tanking your stock is a concerted Facebook/Twiiter/etc campaign.

 

Anti-gay sentiment doesn't fly anymore.

[NorthernVike 2,087]

This story is focking ghey.

[IGotWorms 4,060]

It's a hot button issue. Unfortunately he got caught up in it.

 

These tech companies are all young and media savvy now. If you're not on the right side of public opinion, all it takes to keep people from using your product and tanking your stock is a concerted Facebook/Twiiter/etc campaign.

 

Anti-gay sentiment doesn't fly anymore.

I could sorta understand this line of reasoning if he was out there publicly pushing anti-gay stuff today. But this concerns a political contribution he made six years ago, well before he was CEO. Doesn't seem right to me

[Frank M 181]

I could sorta understand this line of reasoning if he was out there publicly pushing anti-gay stuff today. But this concerns a political contribution he made six years ago, well before he was CEO. Doesn't seem right to me

 

One of the downsides of the free flow of information the Internet provides. Everything you have ever done is easily found and scrutinized.

 

Your link also said that he defended his views recently. Obviously Mozilla doesn't want the potential problems from someone who doesn't dispute the perception that he is anti-gay.

[jerryskids 6,931]

I don't blame Mozilla because they have to do what is best for the company. Although I presume they spent a concerted amount of effort to find the best qualified person for the job, so it seems a bit odd that they would cave like that. But "open source" is like technology socialism, so I imagine the impact on their image was potentially severe.

[Googballz 39]

Free speech is good......as long as you agree with me.

[Frank M 181]

Free speech is good......as long as you agree with me.

 

How is this a free speech issue, exactly?

[NorthernVike 2,087]

 

How is this a free speech issue, exactly?

You're right. It's discrimination based on religious beliefs. The ACLU should be rushing to his defense right now.

[SUXBNME 1,565]

The queers win another one.

[TimmySmith 2,783]

Here come the lawsuits.

[MDC 7,590]

 

How is this a free speech issue, exactly?

When people I disagree with face consequences for the things they say, that's just the marketplace at work. When people I agree with get reprimanded though, that's a free speech issue. Understand?

[Frank M 181]

When people I disagree with face consequences for the things they say, that's just the marketplace at work. When people I agree with get reprimanded though, that's a free speech issue. Understand?

Got it.

 

[Frank M 181]

You're right. It's discrimination based on religious beliefs. The ACLU should be rushing to his defense right now.

Kind of hard to mount a discrimination defense when he resigned, don't you think?

[Voltaire 5,363]

Terrible

[IGotWorms 4,060]

Kind of hard to mount a discrimination defense when he resigned, don't you think?

"Constructive discharge" -- can still sue if you were basically forced out through the employer's conduct.

 

That said I'd imagine the guy negotiated his exit

[Cdub100 3,957]

A CEO/Company would NEVER push their beliefs on their employees. Oh wait...

 

It's really simple if you oppose gay marriage you're a bigot and having a bigot at the head of your company is bad for business. Sorry bigots I know you don't think you're a bigot and the rest of the bigots you meet with on Sunday tell you what a good non bigot you are, but non the less you are a bigot.

[MDC 7,590]

A CEO/Company would NEVER push their beliefs on their employees. Oh wait...

 

It's really simple if you oppose gay marriage you're a bigot and having a bigot at the head of your company is bad for business. Sorry bigots I know you don't think you're a bigot and the rest of the bigots you meet with on Sunday tell you what a good non bigot you are, but non the less you are a bigot.

Exactly this. The irony is that this guy and his ilk fund a campaign to prevent consenting adults from marrying and that's fine, but he loses a job over it and that's some tragic violation of his rights.

 

Boo fockity hoo!

[Voltaire 5,363]

And here I was spending a lifetime thinking how sh*tty it is for political action committees to legally hide the identity of their contributors.

[kilroy69 1,252]

I have been saying this for a while now. We are moving to a place where anyone that holds anti gay views are going to be pegged as a bigot and looked at as a social pariah. This is just another instance of that. In this day and age it is tantamount to him giving money to the KKK and then defending his contributions and expecting everyone to accept that is just who he is and what his beliefs are. That is all well and good if you believe that but a high profile company is not going to want to align itself with someone who holds those views.

[SUXBNME 1,565]

I have been saying this for a while now. We are moving to a place where anyone that holds anti gay views are going to be pegged as a bigot and looked at as a social pariah. This is just another instance of that. In this day and age it is tantamount to him giving money to the KKK and then defending his contributions and expecting everyone to accept that is just who he is and what his beliefs are. That is all well and good if you believe that but a high profile company is not going to want to align itself with someone who holds those views.

Well said.

Still unfair as hell. Or so it seems looking from the outside in,. All we know is what the NYT told us about this. If that is all there is to it, I'd be upset, but on the other hand I totally understand why Mozilla took the actions they did. Gotta take the good with the bad in our free market, right?

Like another poster said earlier, in this day and age of teh interwebs, nobody is safe anymore.

Unfortunate, but a reality. Adapt and adjust accordingly.

[Saint Elistan 106]

Sure it seems unfair. But doesn't making a contribution to anti-gay legislation tip the scale from "belief" to "activism"? Pretty big distinction there in a matter like this.

[drobeski 3,061]

Progress

[Thornton Melon 633]

Hetero guilt - the guilt du jour!

[NorthernVike 2,087]

Hetero guilt - the guilt du jour!

Phag baiting?

[TimmySmith 2,783]

Kind of hard to mount a discrimination defense when he resigned, don't you think?

It was obviously a coerced resignation due to workplace harassment. Slam dunk.

[TimmySmith 2,783]

Exactly this. The irony is that this guy and his ilk fund a campaign to prevent consenting adults from marrying and that's fine, but he loses a job over it and that's some tragic violation of his rights.

 

Boo fockity hoo!

The irony is you agreed with a bigot over bigotry, bigot.

[MDC 7,590]

The irony is you agreed with a bigot over bigotry, bigot.

The real irony is that you called me a bigot for criticizing a bigot for his bigoted beliefs.

[Frank M 181]

It was obviously a coerced resignation due to workplace harassment. Slam dunk.

 

I'd like to see a link to this assertion, please.

[phillybear 366]

America: I disagree with your legitimate opinion, so you're fired and you will be ridiculed in public.

 

Doomed. Mother focking doomed.

[MDC 7,590]

America: I disagree with your legitimate opinion, so you're fired and you will be ridiculed in public.

 

Doomed. Mother focking doomed.

So true. Like, why can't I wear my swastika polo shirt to work on casual Fridays? This is a total travesty of justice.

[phillybear 366]

So true. Like, why can't I wear my swastika polo shirt to work on casual Fridays? This is a total travesty of justice.

 

If you recall, Prop 8 passed in California. So, this guy basically held the same opinion as the majority of voters in California. How outrageous. Oh, the humanity. That's equally as shocking as a swastika, right? It's not like he had a legitimate political view or something.

[TimmySmith 2,783]

 

If you recall, Prop 8 passed in California. So, this guy basically held the same opinion as the majority of voters in California. How outrageous. Oh, the humanity. That's equally as shocking as a swastika, right? It's not like he had a legitimate political view or something.

He's a moron who can't debate without dropping tasteless bombs. Like most liberals, he probably has no friends with opposing viewpoints, so he thinks he's right all the time.

[NewbieJr 541]

I have been saying this for a while now. We are moving to a place where anyone that holds anti gay views are going to be pegged as a bigot and looked at as a social pariah. This is just another instance of that. In this day and age it is tantamount to him giving money to the KKK and then defending his contributions and expecting everyone to accept that is just who he is and what his beliefs are. That is all well and good if you believe that but a high profile company is not going to want to align itself with someone who holds those views.

I agree wholeheartedly and I think that's a great thing. Until we get to a point as a country where gays have the same rights as women and blacks and whites, then anyone trying to deprive them should be looked at as a bigot. It took time with the women and blacks thing, and I'm sure this will take time, too. There's still people waving confederate flags because they oppose that whole black rights thingy. But those yahoos aren't being hired to represent big business. Nor should the anti-gay crowd.

[NewbieJr 541]

 

If you recall, Prop 8 passed in California. So, this guy basically held the same opinion as the majority of voters in California. How outrageous. Oh, the humanity. That's equally as shocking as a swastika, right? It's not like he had a legitimate political view or something.

And those damn naggers they allow to sit up front by me on the bus!!

[phillybear 366]

I agree wholeheartedly and I think that's a great thing. Until we get to a point as a country where gays have the same rights as women and blacks and whites, then anyone trying to deprive them should be looked at as a bigot. It took time with the women and blacks thing, and I'm sure this will take time, too. There's still people waving confederate flags because they oppose that whole black rights thingy. But those yahoos aren't being hired to represent big business. Nor should the anti-gay crowd.

 

The queers have all the same rights as everybody else, you dumb fock country bumpkin. Not one thing is different.

[MDC 7,590]

 

If you recall, Prop 8 passed in California. So, this guy basically held the same opinion as the majority of voters in California. How outrageous. Oh, the humanity. That's equally as shocking as a swastika, right? It's not like he had a legitimate political view or something.

None of which has anything to do with the fact that businesses set standards of behavior for employees all the time, it's not a free speech or amendment issue at all, and the only reason you complain is that you share the same views as the CEO in question.

 

Boo hoo hoo!