Apple says Mississippi 'religious freedom' bill 'empowers discrimination'
An avid promoter of civil rights, Apple on Thursday voiced concern over Mississippi's "religious freedom" house bill that was signed into law this week by Governor Phil Bryant, a piece of legislation opponents say is a tool for discrimination against LGBT individuals.
In a statement to The Clarion Ledger, Apple said it was disappointed to see the passage of HB 1523, also known as the Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination, which detractors claim protects discriminatory actions against LGBT people.
"We want Mississippians to know that our stores and our company are open to everyone, regardless of where they come from, what they look like, how they worship or who they love," an unnamed Apple representative said.
The bill's language protects citizens who deny goods and services to members of the LGBT community on the basis of religious convictions. In particular, there are three religious tenets safeguarded by HB 1523: marriage is reserved to one man and one woman; sexual relations are reserved to married couples; and the definition of "male (man) or female (woman)" refer to a person's "biological sex as objectively determined by anatomy and genetics at time of birth."
Mississippi's edict is the latest in a series of religious freedom bills circulating in the American South. North Carolina and Georgia recently passed LGBT-related laws, while state legislatures in Tennessee and South Carolina are mulling similar bills.
Today's statement echoes Apple's response to the passage of a North Carolina house bill that prohibits transgender people from entering bathrooms, locker rooms and other facilities inconsistent with the gender listed on their birth certificate. Apple CEO Tim Cook later joined more than 80 business leaders in signing an open letter penned by the Human Rights Campaign asking Governor Pat McCrory and the North Carolina General Assembly to repeal the law.
Apple has long positioned itself as a proponent of civil rights, taking on issues from diversity in the workplace to LGBT rights. Along with internal initiatives, like highlighting LGBT apps on the App Store, the company takes an active role in community efforts. In 2014, Apple participated in San Francisco's LGBT Pride Parade as a sanctioned group for the first time, fielding some 5,000 Apple employees including Cook and other executives. The company took part in the parade again last year.
In a statement to The Clarion Ledger, Apple said it was disappointed to see the passage of HB 1523, also known as the Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination, which detractors claim protects discriminatory actions against LGBT people.
"We want Mississippians to know that our stores and our company are open to everyone, regardless of where they come from, what they look like, how they worship or who they love," an unnamed Apple representative said.
The bill's language protects citizens who deny goods and services to members of the LGBT community on the basis of religious convictions. In particular, there are three religious tenets safeguarded by HB 1523: marriage is reserved to one man and one woman; sexual relations are reserved to married couples; and the definition of "male (man) or female (woman)" refer to a person's "biological sex as objectively determined by anatomy and genetics at time of birth."
Mississippi's edict is the latest in a series of religious freedom bills circulating in the American South. North Carolina and Georgia recently passed LGBT-related laws, while state legislatures in Tennessee and South Carolina are mulling similar bills.
Today's statement echoes Apple's response to the passage of a North Carolina house bill that prohibits transgender people from entering bathrooms, locker rooms and other facilities inconsistent with the gender listed on their birth certificate. Apple CEO Tim Cook later joined more than 80 business leaders in signing an open letter penned by the Human Rights Campaign asking Governor Pat McCrory and the North Carolina General Assembly to repeal the law.
Apple has long positioned itself as a proponent of civil rights, taking on issues from diversity in the workplace to LGBT rights. Along with internal initiatives, like highlighting LGBT apps on the App Store, the company takes an active role in community efforts. In 2014, Apple participated in San Francisco's LGBT Pride Parade as a sanctioned group for the first time, fielding some 5,000 Apple employees including Cook and other executives. The company took part in the parade again last year.
Comments
Apparently, money trumps LGBT rights and even LGBT lives. What other reason is there for Apple being in such countries? What other excuse is there?
Speaking as an Apple stock holder, I wouldn't mind one bit if Apple were to completely pull out of certain countries, and not sell any products at all to Saudi Arabia for example. Apple can do without the revenue from a small group of countries that are completely barbaric. I'm not sure if Apple has done it yet, but I even remember reading a while back about how Apple was looking to get into Iran, where you sometimes might find gays hanging from cranes.
I'm not even gay, but I am apparently more for gay rights than Apple is, because no way would I do any business with any of these barbaric countries.
What's next? Is Apple looking to sell devices to ISIS also? I'm sure that there's some revenue to be made there. Their gays simply get thrown from tall buildings.
I have an idea... Why doesn't Apple get out of politics and try focusing on closing security holes?
antkm1 said: “OH NO YOU HORRIBLE FUCKING BIGOTS I HATE YOU YOU’RE NOT TOLERANT ENOUGH! WE’LL SHOW YOU! WE’LL JUST LEAVE AND NEVER COME BACK! WE DON’T HAVE TO PUT UP WITH THIS!”
I was... joking when I wrote my first sentence. I mean... what the fucking hell? Why would I want to believe that leftists actually think this way, and yet here’s an actual example proving it right. Just like the thousands of others we see every day. It gets difficult to want to give these people any actual venue. Three quotes:
Moral cowardice that keeps us from speaking our minds is as dangerous to this country as irresponsible talk. The right ways is not always the popular and easy way. Standing for right when it is unpopular is a true test of moral character.
– Margaret Chase Smith
All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.
– Arthur Schopenhauer
Tolerance and apathy are the last virtues of a dying society.
– Aristotle
For example, take a random mom and pop Christian bakery with a gay couple as customers. Most would not have problems selling items to the couple, but when it comes to endorsing or celebrating that gay union (bake a cake by that bakery, with those names on the cake, in the bakers box), then they have the right to draw a line, if not an obligation. Within their religion and most closely-held beliefs, to make that cake is wrong, and places their own souls at jeopardy for not doing what they believe to be right.
Sure, there are tons of other bakeries, but none cares. They want to force the Christians to do something that is against their beliefs.
I'd like to see this tried in muslim communities. When good ol' Butch and Billybob go to there to order a "wedding" cake and stir up some kind of controversy, it ends up with a couple beheadings.
It's very easy to judge people. We always want justice for others but mercy for ourselves. Why do you think that difference exists?
Apple will not pull out or do anything else other than "take positions." Just to be clear, I think Apple has already done too much on this topic; I purchased Apple stock as an investment for my money, not to get dragged into political crap such as this. Apple is a publicly-traded business. When the rubber meets the road, the ONLY thing that matters to companies such as this is profit. I applaud some of their initiatives, such as "going green". But they aren't doing so to save the planet, but rather because doing so is an investment in the public consciousness that they feel will pay dividends in U.S. Dollars down the road. It's the same with everything they do. And the same that every company does. It's just business. It's an unfortunate truth.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . ★ R E M E M B E R - I N - N O V E M B E R ★
. . . . . . . . . . . .T H A T . R E P U B L I C A N S . D I D . T H I S . T O . Y O U !
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Gay people don't need to have their lifestyle choices held above religious freedom.
Sorry.
Just st leave it alone tim. There is nothing there that would threaten a gay person.
It it simply gives substance to religious freedom. That's a good thing.
I wish the south would just peacefully secede from the union again, as they did before. The cultural difference between the two halves of the country is just too great to try to govern both sides. Neither can be happy - again, just like before - so separate and be good neighbors instead of trying to live in the same house.
What kind of country you want?
And who said anything about changing another country? Apple can simply decide to not do business in such countries. Nobody is forcing Apple to be in those sorts of places. The country can remain how it is, they can kill gays all day long if they wish, but at least Apple wouldn't be operating in such countries if they had good principles.