Microsoft Donates $100,000 to Approve R-71

[ccharles000]

Asserting itself as a powerful advocate for gay rights, the Microsoft Corporation donated $100,000 to the campaign trying to approve Referendum 71, a report filed today with the state Public Disclosure Commission shows (.pdf). If voters approve the measure, they will uphold the state's domestic-partnership law, but a recent poll shows that only 51 percent of likely voters support the referendum.

This took guts. Microsoft's brazen role in R-71 will outrage the Ken Hutcherson's of the world, who pressured Microsoft for years to back off from supporting gay-rights legislation. And it could also summon conservative interests—e.g., the Mormon Church—to dump money in on the other side. After October 12, state rules block any person or group from donating more than $5,000 to the campaign.

Microsoft's donation is larger than all the contributions combined for the campaign to reject R-71, called Protect Marriage Washington, run by a handful of Christian extremists who have reported only $55,217 in contributions.

Right on, Microsoft!

http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2009/10/05/microsoft-donates-100000-to-approve-r-71

[goclark]

1. Excellent!

[WCGreen]

2. And what has Apple contributed...

[Luminous Animal]

3. Apple donates 100,000 to fight prop 8

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/techchron/detail?blogid=19&entry_id=31899

Microsoft is headquartered in Seattle whereas, Apple's headquarters are in California.

[WCGreen]

4. I was curious about Apple because I knew that a lot of the tech companies

have been offering benefits for the partners of Gay employees. I thought that the market would dictate the change earlier. This was back in 1996 when I was running for State Senate.

[tavalon]

5. I really want to hate that company and I can easily site things that suck about it,

but having spent the last decade looking at it fairly up close and personal between friends who work there and many patients who have their insurance, I have to say it isn't the ruthless bastard company that you might think.

[ConsAreLiars]

6. Gates has $40 Billion.

Maybe he can dig into his penny jar and toss in a million or several, if he really cares. His accountant would probably write it off or just ignore it as a rounding error when doing next year's books.