still not about Texas

I know a lot of folks think that Microsoft is the evil empire encarnate.  I'm not geek enough to care that much--my computer equipment is usually purchased for me or handed down, so I take what I get and am happy to have it, but local rag The Stranger has broken a story that has really pissed me off. 

"The Stranger has learned that last month the $37-billion Redmond-based software behemoth quietly withdrew its support for House bill 1515, the anti-gay-discrimination bill currently under consideration by the Washington State legislature, after being pressured by the Evangelical Christian pastor of a suburban megachurch. The pastor, Ken Hutcherson of Antioch Bible Church in Redmond, met with a senior Microsoft executive in February and threatened to organize a national boycott of the company's products if it did not change its stance on the legislation, according to gay rights activists and a Microsoft employee who attended a subsequent April 4 meeting where Bradford L. Smith, Microsoft's senior vice president, general counsel, and corporate secretary, told a group of gay staffers about Hutcherson's threat."

Holy f*ck!  I expect this sort of thing in certain places, but here in Seattle, in the urban, secular, progressive, cutting-edge technology land of my heart?  Say it isn't so!  If a place as large and influential and rich as MS is so easily influenced by anti-gay church folks then alas, there is no hope.  Granted, as yet, MS hasn't stopped paying benefits to domestic partners, but need I remind you that the company is a huge influence 'round these parts, and others are likely to follow its lead in withdrawl of support for anti-discrimination legislature?  At least Scoble is still on the ball.  Read more about it  in this excellent post.

UPDATE: Ijust learned that the bill in question failed in the Washington State Senate by just one vote.

Comments

[peg]

And it was our No.OlyPen congressman Hargrove, a Democrat, who threw in with the Republicans. His quote in today's paper, "I believe homosexuality is wrong. Therefore, I cannot give government protection to this behavior". As though ensuring equal protection for all in housing and employment is condoning the behavior. It's the constitution, guys!

[lisa]

oh God...this kind of thing drives me nuts... here in Canada, our Same Sex Marriage bill has not passed into law yet... it is almost there... and our minority liberal government is at risk of being forced into an election right now... our Prime Minister and the opposition addressed the nation the other night (he was begging everyone to give him a bit more time)... if we are forced to the polls, the conservatives will probably win, and the leader of that party was on parliament hill two weeks ago protesting the same sex marriage law... it just makes me so MAD!