Apple and Google oppose ban on gay marriage

Apple and Google oppose ban on gay marriage

(Stump up to defeat California Proposition 8)

APPLE JOINED GOOGLE on Friday in opposition to California ballot Proposition 8, which would ban same-sex marriage in the state known for its population of fruits, nuts and flakes.

If passed by California voters, the measure would amend the state's constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman. The amendment could potentially be interpreted to invalidate pre-existing same-sex marriages and other domestic partnerships in California.

"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," the pastel themed maker of ultra-chic, overpriced computers and electronic accessories announced.

On its website, Apple said it would contribute $100,000 to opponents of the ballot measure, which was placed before the voters through an initiative petition backed by fundamentalist evangelical activists and the Mormon church.

Google had announced its opposition to Proposition 8 last month, and its founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page reportedly have donated $140,000 between them to fight its passage.

"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," Brin reportedly said at the time.

California Proposition 8 is meeting with broad opposition in the famously cosmopolitan San Francisco Bay Area and in much of the Los Angeles metroplex, but has support in the state's culturally reactionary hinterlands in the San Joaquin Valley, Orange County and San Diego.

If the measure passes, it could set back same-sex marriage equality in the US for a decade or more. On the other hand, a resounding defeat of Proposition 8 might discourage a lot of authoritarian bible-thumpers from seeking to dictate how other people conduct their lives.

Stump up to defeat California Proposition 8
By Egan Orion: Monday, 27 October 2008, 10:14 AM

Technorati Tag:gay marriage , marriage