Microsoft decides to (re)back gay-rights bill

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Ballmer, in an e-mail to Microsoft's U.S. employees, said he decided that encouraging a diverse workplace is an important business issue and should be part of the company's legislative agenda.

"Therefore, it's appropriate for the company to support legislation that will promote and protect diversity in the workplace," he wrote.

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Translation: WE WERE STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID. OK, NOW, GIVE IT UP FOR MEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

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Rep. Ed Murray, D-Seattle, [donut: Murray is openly gay] sponsor of HB 1515, said Microsoft's endorsement "sends a positive message to other corporations and it sends a message to suburban Democrats and Republicans because Microsoft is a pretty significant employer in suburban Washington."

But Murray said Microsoft took too much heat for the failure of the anti-discrimination bill this year. News of Microsoft taking a neutral position on the bill came the day of the vote when an article in The Stranger alternative newspaper suggested the company had caved to pressure from Hutcherson.

Senate Republicans, with the help of two conservative Democrats, killed the measure.

"The story broke too late to have a direct effect. It hit the newsstands the same day as the vote," Murray said. "I don't know of anyone who knew about it."

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WAIT, but...

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The Rev. Joseph Fuiten, president of Washington Evangelicals for Responsible Government, a group that lobbied against the bill, also questions Microsoft's influence.

"I guarantee if the vote were held today, it would turn out the same way," he said. "Microsoft is not that big of a player on this issue in the House or the Senate."

Fuiten said Microsoft's role was overblown by the media and made the company look foolish and "like they're being whipped around by homosexuals."

"Now they've got everybody annoyed; it's a great gift to be able to annoy all sides equally," he said. "Are the homosexuals going to think [Microsoft is] really in their corner? I don't think so."

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HAHA. "Yeah, homos.. don't trust your benefits. They're sending you a one-way ticket to the netherworld once your project is over... SINNERS!"

Neutralisty remains "a threat" though...

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But Ballmer also cautioned employees not to expect Microsoft to become a social-issues activist.

"I also want to be clear about some limits to this approach," he wrote in his e-mail. "Many other countries have different political traditions for public advocacy by corporations, and I'm not prepared to involve the company in debates outside the U.S. in such circumstances. And, based on the principles I've just outlined, the company should not and will not take a position on most other public policy issues, either in the U.S. or internationally."

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Which is fair enough. Capitalism is what capitalism does, blah blah. I just think MS will rethink the TIMING of such possible future moves is all. baaaaaaah. whatev.

Anyway, at least this all has a happier ending. And as I reiterated before, their support had no effect on the turnout of the bill (the lone dissenter was a homophobic Democrat from Hoquiam, WA near Aberdeen, a mostly lumberjack/blue-collar area with no interest/benefit in/from Microsoft anyway).. it, by itself, was mainly symbolic. However, the combined effort of all major WA state companies supporting meant a lot though, and MS's pulling out of it was worrisome, as it may have signalled a chain reaction, and a stroke of Rev. Asshole Hutcherson's ego. But now, things are back to what they were before. That Democrat from Hoquiam, WA is still a homophobic asshat, though. And Rev. Hutcherson can now eat his shoes. So at least the latter thing can now give me something to smile about.

Now let's see this religious right "boycott" of Microsoft. "Support more homophobic OS's, like Apple and Linux!!" (to quote Casuistry, haha)