Apple contributes $100,000 to fight California's No on 8 battle
Apple has joined Google in publicly opposing California's Proposition 8, a measure intended to ban the rights of gay Californians to legally marry, and has contributed $100,000 to defeat the measure.
Both companies have a history of remaining politically neutral, but have chosen to take sides on this issue because it relates directly to the civil rights and opportunities of their employees.
In its Hot News feed, the company stated, "Apple is publicly opposing Proposition 8 and making a donation of $100,000 to the No on 8 campaign. Apple was among the first California companies to offer equal rights and benefits to our employees? same-sex partners, and we strongly believe that a person?s fundamental rights ? including the right to marry ? should not be affected by their sexual orientation. Apple views this as a civil rights issue, rather than just a political issue, and is therefore speaking out publicly against Proposition 8."
Earlier, Google co-founder and president Sergey Brin wrote in the Official Google Blog, "it is the chilling and discriminatory effect of the proposition on many of our employees that brings Google to publicly oppose Proposition 8. While we respect the strongly-held beliefs that people have on both sides of this argument, we see this fundamentally as an issue of equality. We hope that California voters will vote no on Proposition 8 -- we should not eliminate anyone's fundamental rights, whatever their sexuality, to marry the person they love."
The No on 8 campaign notes that "Virtually every major paper in California is against Prop 8. The L.A. Times says it is 'a drastic step to strip people of rights.' La Opinión called Prop 8 'an unnecessary initiative.' The San Diego Union Tribune wrote that Prop 8 'offends many Californians' sense of fairness.'"
Apple's $100,000 contribution to the No on 8 campaign is significant because the effort to stop the proposition has been systematically outgunned by out-of-state religious groups, who have poured cash into TV advertisements that threaten dire consequences if gays' right to marry continue in the state. Among other claims, the ads state that if the proposition isn't passed, California schools will force children to study gay marriage.
That claim prompted California Superintendent of Schools Jack O'Connell to announce that the proposition "has nothing to do with schools or kids. Our schools aren't required to teach anything about marriage, and using kids to lie about that is shameful."
In reality, California gays and lesbians have been able to marry since 2004, when San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom arranged for ceremonies at City Hall, which led to a landmark state Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage in the state. None of the claims pushed by Prop 8 supporters have occurred over the last four years.
Both companies have a history of remaining politically neutral, but have chosen to take sides on this issue because it relates directly to the civil rights and opportunities of their employees.
In its Hot News feed, the company stated, "Apple is publicly opposing Proposition 8 and making a donation of $100,000 to the No on 8 campaign. Apple was among the first California companies to offer equal rights and benefits to our employees? same-sex partners, and we strongly believe that a person?s fundamental rights ? including the right to marry ? should not be affected by their sexual orientation. Apple views this as a civil rights issue, rather than just a political issue, and is therefore speaking out publicly against Proposition 8."
Earlier, Google co-founder and president Sergey Brin wrote in the Official Google Blog, "it is the chilling and discriminatory effect of the proposition on many of our employees that brings Google to publicly oppose Proposition 8. While we respect the strongly-held beliefs that people have on both sides of this argument, we see this fundamentally as an issue of equality. We hope that California voters will vote no on Proposition 8 -- we should not eliminate anyone's fundamental rights, whatever their sexuality, to marry the person they love."
The No on 8 campaign notes that "Virtually every major paper in California is against Prop 8. The L.A. Times says it is 'a drastic step to strip people of rights.' La Opinión called Prop 8 'an unnecessary initiative.' The San Diego Union Tribune wrote that Prop 8 'offends many Californians' sense of fairness.'"
Apple's $100,000 contribution to the No on 8 campaign is significant because the effort to stop the proposition has been systematically outgunned by out-of-state religious groups, who have poured cash into TV advertisements that threaten dire consequences if gays' right to marry continue in the state. Among other claims, the ads state that if the proposition isn't passed, California schools will force children to study gay marriage.
That claim prompted California Superintendent of Schools Jack O'Connell to announce that the proposition "has nothing to do with schools or kids. Our schools aren't required to teach anything about marriage, and using kids to lie about that is shameful."
In reality, California gays and lesbians have been able to marry since 2004, when San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom arranged for ceremonies at City Hall, which led to a landmark state Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage in the state. None of the claims pushed by Prop 8 supporters have occurred over the last four years.
Comments
Apple has joined Google in publicly opposing California's Proposition 8
Good.
WTF is gay marriage? i mean if you wanna be with someone of your same sex for the rest of your live so be it, but why would they even want to get marry on top of that. Apple please stop flushing shareholders money down the toilet and let People do what ever the heck they wanna do as long as it doesn't affect the company
I take it you're not happily married or you would know why.
Nobody is forcing gays into your religion, the issue is whether religions should force their dogma on the government. Prop 8 is an effort to rewrite the constitution to say that gays can't have the same legal rights as anyone else.
WTF is gay marriage?
Is that a deliberately stupid question?
It's marriage between two people of the same sex. Why would people want to do it? Why do heterosexual people get married?
For those who a "pro" prop 8, please explain exactly how two people of the same sex who love each other getting married adversely affects you or anyone else in any way. Seriously, there are much better things to get pissed off about e.g. torture, child abuse, etc. etc. try directing your energies towards ridding the world of things like that before you start trying to interfere with other people's loving relationships.
What a silly non-issue to be putting into the constitution! Taking away rights... for no benefit at all.
WTF is gay marriage? i mean if you wanna be with someone of your same sex for the rest of your live so be it, but why would they even want to get marry on top of that. Apple please stop flushing shareholders money down the toilet and let People do what ever the heck they wanna do as long as it doesn't affect the company
It does affect the company. It's widely accepted that about 10% of the world's population is homosexual and that includes both Apple's employees and customers. Respecting civil rights is an important consideration for any company seeking to attract good people and this therefore makes sense.
Furthermore, gay marriage means the legal right to the financial, tax and social entitlement benefits that heterosexual couples enjoy by commiting to one other person and sticking with them. It's not just an gimmick, it's a hugely important issue to gay people and their families. Apple (and Google) are to be congratulated for looking out for the rights of their employees.
I mean, if a man and a woman wants to be with each other for the rest of their lives, so be it. Why do they have to have the right to get married?
Shear stupidity.
WTF is gay marriage? i mean if you wanna be with someone of your same sex for the rest of your live so be it, but why would they even want to get marry on top of that. Apple please stop flushing shareholders money down the toilet and let People do what ever the heck they wanna do as long as it doesn't affect the company
Gay marriage is a legal right that relates to being able to do the same business as anyone else: insurance, hospital visitation rights, and other legal protections that married couples take for granted. The government does not clearly define the civil and religious aspects of marriage, so there's not some non-religious form of domestic partnership that gives gays the same legal rights as other people.
Nobody is forcing gays into your religion, the issue is whether religions should force their dogma on the government. Prop 8 is an effort to rewrite the constitution to say that gays can't have the same legal rights as anyone else.
That is incorrect. Proposition 8 will not take away any rights from gays and lesbians so far as insurance, hospital rights, etc.
The biggest issue is that gay marriage will be taught to kids in school (as early as Kindergarten). Parents should have the right to teach their kids morals. It should not be controlled by the government. For that matter, I don't think marriage should be taught at all in school, but I guess that's for another debate.
Shear stupidity.
"Shear stupidity" = 'running with scissors'.
I think 'sheer stupidity' is what you meant.
Speaking of sheer stupidity, anyone who can't see that 'Tab A' was designed to go into 'Slot B'.......well.......
The biggest issue is that gay marriage will be taught to kids in school (as early as Kindergarten). Parents should have the right to teach their kids morals. It should not be controlled by the government. For that matter, I don't think marriage should be taught at all in school, but I guess that's for another debate.
I take it you just went straight to the comments to post your flame without reading this bit:
That claim prompted California Superintendent of Schools Jack O'Connell to announce that the proposition "has nothing to do with schools or kids. Our schools aren't required to teach anything about marriage, and using kids to lie about that is shameful."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIL7PUl24hE
That is incorrect. Proposition 8 will not take away any rights from gays and lesbians so far as insurance, hospital rights, etc.
The biggest issue is that gay marriage will be taught to kids in school (as early as Kindergarten). Parents should have the right to teach their kids morals. It should not be controlled by the government. For that matter, I don't think marriage should be taught at all in school, but I guess that's for another debate.
no one is taking that right away from you. you can still teach your kids whatever the hell you want. they are merely teaching tolerance.
This is not something companies should be getting involved in. They should remain politically neutral on these matters and let the govt's and states battle it out.
It does affect the company. It's widely accepted that about 10% of the world's population is homosexual and that includes both Apple's employees and customers. Respecting civil rights is an important consideration for any company seeking to attract good people and this therefore makes sense.
Furthermore, gay marriage means the legal right to the financial, tax and social entitlement benefits that heterosexual couples enjoy by commiting to one other person and sticking with them. It's not just an gimmick, it's a hugely important issue to gay people and their families. Apple (and Google) are to be congratulated for looking out for the rights of their employees.
Dear God, please don't debate the merits of Gay Marriage on this website. Write a letter to the editor but seriously folks, this debate is futile. The question here is whether a company should use its money, in a time of uncertainty to champion moral or ethical or whatever you classify gay marriage as an issue. It sends a strong message, to be sure, but is it the right message to be sending at this time? Wouldn't that money be better spent feeding the poor of this country than establishing an even stronger rapport with the gay community?
Is that a deliberately stupid question?
It's marriage between two people of the same sex. Why would people want to do it? Why do heterosexual people get married?
For those who a "pro" prop 8, please explain exactly how two people of the same sex who love each other getting married adversely affects you or anyone else in any way. Seriously, there are much better things to get pissed off about e.g. torture, child abuse, etc. etc. try directing your energies towards ridding the world of things like that before you start trying to interfere with other people's loving relationships.
As I mentioned above, many parents don't want their kids being taught about gay marriages in school (myself included). Whether you think that is right or wrong is irrelevant. It's my right to teach them the morals I believe in. You can do the same with your children, but schools do not (or at least should not) have that right.
Another big effect is religious. If gay marriages are recognized by the state, then any religion who refuses to marry gays will be subject to lawsuits and loss of tax exemption. Government cannot force a religion to change its values...well, it used to be that way.
But a mouth was made for eating and chewing and a tongue was made for tasting, but I don't see anyone saying it's wrong to...
"Shear stupidity" = 'running with scissors'.
I think 'sheer stupidity' is what you meant.
Speaking of sheer stupidity, anyone who can't see that 'Tab A' was designed to go into 'Slot B'.......well.......