In the face of evangelical pressure, Microsoft caved on their support for a Washington State civil rights bill that would have expanded civil rights protection for gays and lesbians in the state.
A little background is probably in order-- Here's an excerpt from an email sent out by a friend of mine.
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On February 11, HB 1515 (Expanding the jurisdiction of the human rights commission) was passed by a nearly two-thirds majority of the State House of Representatives. This bill adds the words "sexual orientation" to important laws safeguarding civil rights in our state. I'm grossly simplifying, of course. If you want to read the bill go here. Smart people, friends from within the GLBT community and without, have been trying hard for 30 years to get this done. It looked, on February 11 that we were finally going to go all the way.
In February, the legislation arrived in our State Senate and was given for review first to the Financial Institutions, Housing & Consumer Protection committee (where it passed, in March, with amendments) and then to the Rules committee. Yesterday, as you may already know, there was a motion on the floor of the Senate to relieve the Rules committee of the bill and to move it to the Judiciary. This motion was carried by a nearly party-line vote - all Republicans plus two Democrats. The Democrats were Tim Sheldon of the 35th district - Mason county plus bits of Kitsap, Thurston and Grays Harbor; and Jim Hargrove of the 24th district, which is basically Clallam and Jefferson counties plus more of Grays Harbor.
The reason why this motion was catastrophic (or could be catastrophic) for HB 1515 is that there's a math problem. Of the nine members of the Judiciary committee, four are Republicans who are intractably negative on the issue of securing GLBT rights in our state. The chair of the committee is Adam Kline, a liberal Democrat who, by the way, is my senator. His office has been helpful in my research of the current situation. Three of the other four Democrats are solidly on our side as well. Unfortunately, the swing Democratic vote on the Judiciary committee has swung against us before it has even been asked for - he's the same Jim Hargrove of the 24th who helped to pull off yesterday's procedural stunt. He has always been an enemy of this legislation. His fellow Democrats call him a Democrat in name only. He's not a friend.
So there you have it. If the bill stays in the currently assembled Judiciary committee it DIES in the Judiciary committee. That's why this procedural motion was floated. If the bill comes to a floor vote, there is a strong likelihood it will pass. The job in front of the GLBT community and its friends is to ensure that it gets that chance.
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So, procedural maneuvering is being used to kill support for the bill. But there's corporate support for it in the state...or there was... until a new player entered the scene.
MICROSOFT CAVES ON GAY RIGHTS
by Sandeep Kaushik
© 2005 The Stranger
Pressured by Evangelical Minister, Microsoft Withdraws Support for Civil Rights Bill
In a move that angered many of the company's gay employees, the Microsoft Corporation, publicly perceived as the vanguard institution of the new economy, has taken a major political stand in favor of age-old discrimination.
Here's the link:http://www.thestranger.com/2005-04-21/feature.html