Update
We have received the following emailed statement from Mozilla spokesperson regarding the resignations of the three board members:
The three board members ended their terms last week for a variety of reasons. Two had been planning to leave for some time, one since January and one explicitly at the end of the CEO search,regardless of the person selected.
Original Story
Appointing of Brendan Eich as new CEO of Mozilla hasn’t been a smooth sailing for the non-profit outfit as the first week saw employees demanding his resignation over his support to anti-gay marriage campaign following the resignation of three of its board members.
According to a report on the Wall Street Journal Gary Kovacks, John Lilly, and Ellen Siminoff have resigned from their board positions leaving Mitchell Baker; Reid Hoffman and Katharina Borchert on the board.
Gary Kovacs is a former Mozilla CEO and currently is in charge of AVG Technologies, while John Lilly is also a former Mozilla CEO and currently a partner at venture-capital firm Greylock Partners. Ellen Siminoff is the CEO of online education startup Shmoop.
The resignation of the three board members isn’t linked with Eich’s support for anti-gay marriage campaign, but according to the WSJ Kovacks, Lilly and Siminoff left because they are upset over company’s decision of not appointing someone from the outside who was more mobile-focused and who could have helped the non-profit boost the Firefox OS software.
Mozilla employees have been calling for Eich’s resignation after it was revealed that he donated $1,000 to a campaign that supported Proposition 8, a 2008 California ballot measure seeking a ban on same-sex marriage.
Eich stressed that he is “committed to ensuring that Mozilla is, and will remain, a place that includes and supports everyone, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, age, race, ethnicity, economic status, or religion.”
Interesting. Guess I’ll be switching from my almost exclusive use of firefox at work and home to another browser. Safari on my macs and chrome on my PC should do the trick.
Good to see there is someone with good moral character running Mozilla!
Please cite a gay whose expressing the though that gay marriage ought to be permitted resulted in loss of employment, persecution, or criminal prosecution. Citing private faith-based interests cannot count, because the inverse would apply. Gays have no claim of discrimination in the US that cost them employment and loss of the Constitution’s free speech guarantees. Gay tyrants have been imposing their views and punishing those disagreeing.
Calling support for marriage anti-gay is dishonest, which makes this TechieNews author a liar and too cowardly to publish its name. This is the Left’s tolerance: if you disagree, you’ll not be allowed to work or live if the Left has its way. Very Stalinist. Look up what the S stood for in the nSdap to see where these totalitarians and dishonest “journalists” want to lead you. Every time you read or hear “hate speech” or “hate crime,” know it’s euphemism for censorship and punishment of dissent. Already, public UC university staff physically attack and rob pro-life campaigners on public university campuses in California and the university system supports the attackers. Marxist universities (read all American universities) outlaw speech except for exclusionary free-speech zones. That trend will enter society at large with the mainstream media censoring then condoning it.
In most states gays can be fired – for being gay – that is a fact – try putting one in your argument next time.
Eich did not support marriage – what a joke – Proposition 8 was designed solely to punish gays and lesbians in California – it was punitive – it was never about support of marriage.
Thousands of gay marriages had already happened – and while Eich and Prop 8 supporters hoped they could nullify them with the passage of Prop 8 – they knew that might be a bridge too far. And they also knew that even if successful – the battle had already been lost – more than 10 states had gay marriage thanks to the court – and by 2012 – 4 states would pass gay marriage by popular vote.
Eich and Prop 8 supporters knew that all they could do was delay gay marriage – and punish gays and lesbians and those that love and support them by reminding them that they – and they alone – could lose their rights – could have their marriages and families threatened – Prop 8 was designed solely to punish gays for their success in the courts – and it worked spectacularly – no wonder Mozilla wants Eich – he is just ugly, vicious, and sinister enough to succeed at anything he puts his mind to.
Aside from his astonishing cowardice – Eich is the perfect CEO.
In most states gays can be fired – for being gay – that is a fact – try putting one in your argument next time.
Eich did not support marriage – what a joke – Proposition 8 was designed solely to punish gays and lesbians in California – it was punitive – it was never about support of marriage.
Thousands of gay marriages had already happened – and while Eich and Prop 8 supporters hoped they could nullify them with the passage of Prop 8 – they knew that might be a bridge too far. And they also knew that even if successful – the battle had already been lost – more than 10 states had gay marriage thanks to the court – and by 2012 – 4 states would pass gay marriage by popular vote.
Eich and Prop 8 supporters knew that all they could do was delay gay marriage – and punish gays and lesbians and those that love and support them by reminding them that they – and they alone – could lose their rights – could have their marriages and families threatened – Prop 8 was designed solely to punish gays for their success in the courts – and it worked spectacularly – no wonder Mozilla wants Eich – he is just ugly, vicious, and sinister enough to succeed at anything he puts his mind to.
Aside from his astonishing cowardice – Eich is the perfect CEO.
I’ve read lots of comments on various articles from people who think it’s asinine that someone would lose his job for his political or religious opinions, yet it happens all the time. That’s fundamentally what “right to work” means; if my employer or boss finds my opinions too extreme for his tastes, he can fire me, no further explanations needed. That’s why most sensible people advise you to keep those opinions out of the workplace.
Further, I’m sick of people who think Freedom of Speech means “freedom from the consequences of your speech.” The only thing that Eich is guaranteed is that he won’t be imprisoned or persecuted by the government for his speech, and he hasn’t been. That doesn’t mean that his wife won’t leave him or that his friends won’t abandon him or that he won’t lose his job over what he says.