Apple publicly opposes Proposition 8


Apple issued a statement today opposing Proposition 8, the controversial initiative measure that would “change the California Constitution to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry in California.

“Apple is publicly opposing Proposition 8 and making a donation of $100,000 to the No on 8 campaign. 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. Apple views this as a civil rights issue, rather than just a political issue, and is therefore speaking out publicly against Proposition 8.”

Regardless of your position on the subject, it is certainly a bold move on Apple’s part. You don’t often see companies of this nature taking a firm stance like this on such a controversial issue. Jobs and Co. must feel VERY strongly about this.

This issue will be vote on in November – and if you’re a Californian with an opinion on this – you need to get out there an express it by voting.

Since this seems to be a hot button issue with many different groups, let me go ahead and warn you now – hate speech will not be tolerated on this blog. If you want to discuss this – keep it civil.


Kokou Adzo

Kokou Adzo is a stalwart in the tech journalism community, has been chronicling the ever-evolving world of Apple products and innovations for over a decade. As a Senior Author at Apple Gazette, Kokou combines a deep passion for technology with an innate ability to translate complex tech jargon into relatable insights for everyday users.

24 Comments

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  1. see, that’s where they lose my attention. i just don’t understand how a company can make such a statement. is this a decision arrived at democratically? if i worked for apple and would disagree with such a position, could they fire me? now that i’m a mac user, do i stop using their product if i disagree with such a position? would i be expected to? i think it’s an unwise or a money driven move.

    did i manage to keep it civil? 🙂

  2. Religious or moral beliefs aside, Apple just took $100,000 from the pockets of their share holders and publicly took a side of a political issue. If I was a share holder, and was pro PR8, I’d be ticked. What is next, will GM contribute $400,000 to a presidential candidate or some Energy Bill (I know, the have lobbyists for that – but can you see my point?) Maybe Apple can contribute $100,000 to the Mike Bailout Fund ’cause its the right thing to do! This is a slippery slope and I surprised Apple started down it.

  3. PEOPLE……This IS going to happen, if not this go around you can bet very soon. It just goes to show that Apple really is the forward thinking company that helps drive change.

    George + Michael = 14 years

  4. so you removed my post…glad to see that there is equality on Apple Gazette

    thanks alot

    wont be reading any more Apple Gazette information…and will be sure to let everyone know at the other places how gays are treated on Apple Gazette

  5. @Alex

    I deleted your post because of your comments. You called others here idiots, you told a large general group of people that they are “not worthy” of this company, and so on. I made it very clear…be CIVIL. You weren’t.

    If you want to try again without berating anyone else on the forum here, you’re welcome to post again. Some of what you said is a valid point – and I have no problem with it being posted here…but not at the expense of talking down to others.

  6. My opinion on this matter aside, the questions were directed towards Apple, the company that employs people of various opinions (I presume this is allowed in a democratic society). Is the entire company of the same opinion? Who’s opinion is expressed here? Steve Jobs’, the board of directors, ALL employees? That’s just plain strange.

    See, I’m not discussing gay rights here (I really don’t, even though I do have an opinion). I am trying to discuss the possibilities of such a statement by a COMPUTER company.

    OK, after this I’m putting my part in the discussion at rest. 🙂

  7. @Michael

    they are idiots…and you just made what they said to be ok…and therefore have offended me as a gay male…and you dont have the right to censor my posts because there was nothing wrong with it…

    i see everyday people using cuss words and personally attacking others in the their posts and they dont get removed…i didnt say anything wrong…but it sounds like you didnt like what i had to say

    and prob because you agree with them…and if you really read my post it was a good post and you were wrong for removing it

    thanks for supporting the gay community

    DISCRIMINATION AT ITS BEST…RIGHT HERE AT THE APPLE GAZETTE

  8. Apple is a company which supports individuality and begin yourself. This was their ad campaign for a long time. With their support, they are saying that they support being yourself no matter who you are. If you are gay, you should continue to be gay. If you are straight, you can continue to be straight. Everyone has a right to be who they are and the constitution should not be changed to benefit one group of people over the other. Homosexuals have the same rights as everyone else. Heck, even a serial killer has certain rights, why not individuals of different sexual orientation? Apple did the right thing. It doesn’t matter that the issue is about being able to marry if you are gay or not, it is about being independent which is important to most of American society.
    I love the AG podcast! And Michael, no one in there right mind believes you are discriminating against anyone. You are very unbiased in this issue and others… and that’s hard to do in the Mac world. Way to go!

  9. rob said on the same issue:

    do you people really not understand how business works? the owner is the boss. businesses are not democracies. the owner gets to do what he/she wants to do. he/she is in no way required to hold a vote to see what the employees think of the boss’s decisions.

    in the case of apple, the shareholders own the company. the board of trustees is elected by the shareholders and is empowered to make decisions on behalf of the shareholders.

    you better believe that apple’s board decided on this. it wasnt just steve jobs.

    the employees have no part in this equation.

    to which I replied:

    @rob: got it. i guess it’s a lack of knowledge of my part. next time i read “apple”, i will know that it’s the shareholders that make the statement. fair enough.

  10. @shaun

    you didnt get the chance to see what i had to say about this subject…the fact is censorship is censorship…no matter what you call it…

    nothing i said was uncivil…it was a little matter of fact but not something that should have been deleted…especially since there were no cuss words or personal attacks in the post

    the fact is it was deleted without any commentary to me directly…and since my email address is attached to my posts there should be no reason to delete what i have had to say without discussing it with me…its ridiculous that Michael has the nerve to just censor me for no reason

    and i am outraged that he did it…and will never forgive him or this site for allowing it to be done…and i will make it known on all other Apple posts what has been done to me here…because freedom of speech is one of the things this country was built on…

    OFFENDED AND ANGRY AT APPLE GAZETTE
    ALEX

  11. @Alex

    + simonas is not an idiot. THAT is a personal attack and THAT is why it was deleted. He didn’t say ANYTHING against gay people. He asked a series of questions. You proceeded to call him names and then proceeded to make jokes about gay people’s fashion sense (a gay stereotype) – that actually made me think you were mocking gay people. I had no clue to your sexuality based on your post.

    That is NOT the same thing as “making it ok” for people to spew hatred about gay people. THAT accusation OFFENDS me.

    I do my very best to keep this site unbiased. I do my very best to keep conversations like this one from happening – because I DO NOT believe that gay people should be treated any different than any other people.

    BUT – if I am going to delete posts with people saying negative things about gay people, I have to delete post by people saying negative things about non-gay people.

    It can’t be just one way based on my personal beliefs or yours. That’s not objective.

    I clearly stated that I wanted to keep this conversation civil – and name calling is not civil. I don’t have to email you to tell you that – I already said it in the post.

    I have already invited you to repost your thoughts WITHOUT calling other people names. You are FREE to speak your mind – just don’t insult other people. The fact that other people may insult you is irrelevant – because if they do it here I will delete them too. You can post your thoughts without insulting others. There has to be a way for you to get what you’re thinking across without calling other people names.

    For the record, were I a California citizen I would vote AGAINST Proposition 8. That’s NOT what this post on Apple Gazette is about, though. It’s about what APPLE did.

    I am sorry if it offended you that I deleted your post because you chose to call people names. I DID NOT censor you from speaking about the issue – I did delete your post after you did what I asked you in the body of the text not to do. Then I invited you to repost your thoughts without insulting others.

  12. @MICHAEL

    first of all you didnt say anything about deleting my post until after i said something about it…fact is your article didnt say anything about calling people names…it said to be civil…and the definition of civil can be different from different peoples perspectives

    i was being civil…my point was that Apple is a progressive company that has always been supportive of everyone no matter what or who you are

    and the gay fashion comment was because its true…we gays…love form and fit and looks and beauty…

    what i said about not being worthy of apple products is because that person said right out that they would have to be fired if they worked for apple and they had the stance that they have being FOR gays being able to marry…and that was offensive…they didnt have to say they were for keeping gays from having the right to marry because what they posted said it for them

    and i stated in that post that if and when i find that right person to spend my life with…it would be wrong for them to discriminate against me because i am gay…

    and yes anyone that thinks that way is an idiot…this is not the stone ages…allowing people to treat us like they have in the years past is WRONG and i will NOT stand for it

    IM THE ONE THAT IS INSULTED because you allowed people to say the things that they said but because i came right out and defended myself and my brethren you deleted my post…

    now what you should have done is edited the post and stated that the post was edited as i have seen in the past on forum posts such as this one and leave a caption stating it was edited…or you could have had the decency to have contacted me directly that my post had been deleted or needed to be edited to be posted

    you dont get to play god here…just cuz you wrote the article doesnt make it right for you to make those kind of decisions that affect other people this way…

    i never cussed or said anything out of control…i said that people that are against GAY MARRIAGE were IDIOTS…and they are…FACT

    the way you have handled this posting is unacceptable…if you were going to make an article that you didnt want people to speak their minds on then you should not have made it so people could post responses to it

  13. @simonas

    and i have to admit when i am wrong about something…and i have to make things straight

    i read your post wrong the first 2 times i read it…and now i see what was being made into a question…what i saw from your post was that you didnt agree with Apple and that they would have to fire you…and then the rest of your post also backed up in my mind what i felt you were saying…

    now i stand behind what i said about people that are AGAINST GAY MARRIAGE are IDIOTS…but i was wrong to call you one…but on the other hand your post made it quite clear that you think what apple did was wrong…

    why would you think that supporting a free democratic society that makes all humans equal would be wrong…like the article says Apple has been supporting gay relationships for years and years…it would be expected that a company like that would support this cause…

    many many many corporations support gay rights because if they didnt most corporations would cease to exist…fact is we are a major part of the world today and major money spending demographic…

    think about fashion mags…do you really think those buff built men with barely any clothes on are in those ads for women? no they are pushing for the gay demographic because we are the ones that help to set those trends and statements…now days more and more str8 guys are more fashion conscious but not enough…now…this is not gay or str8 bashing statement…disclaimer

    again im sorry for calling you an idiot but if you truly feel that GAYS do not deserve the same equal rights as STR8’s then i wont say it…but you know

  14. @ ALEX

    I don’t believe that you were being civil because you are still calling people idiots. You can’t express hate towards someone who disagrees with you and not expect hate in return. That is YOUR opinion that gay individuals should be able to get married; people can disagree with you. It is also YOUR opinion that all gay people are stereotypes who love fashion. I hope you know that stereotypes are the main cause for discrimination against gay people in the world today. Good job perpetuating them!!! You fuel the hate people have for gay individuals by not accepting others. That kind of ignorance is painful. It’s not fair that you, as a gay individual, have to work harder in life for equality, but women, the lower class, and minorities have the same problems as well. The world isn’t fair. And for the record: no one is disagreeing with you here; they were simply stating hypothetical questions that arise from Apple’s decision.

    Sorry everyone. Back on topic: This isn’t about the issue itself, but about if Apple made the right decision in taking a side… not which side. So I assume what Alex means from his rant is that Apple made the right decision and more companies should stand up for equality and I agree with him. Let’s just get along. Michael was just trying to keep the peace on HIS forum so I can’t blame him. Alex, let’s just try to let it go. We agree on the topic so there isn’t much more to discuss here. 🙂

  15. @Alex

    Umm, gosh, if you’re so ticked at Michael for supposedly being such a horrible guy and deleting your post that you aren’t going to read Mac Gazette anymore then why do you keep posting? I mean, seriously, if you want to take your proverbial marbles and go home, then do it instead of continuing to argue with everyone on the site.

  16. @eric

    first of all i was not arguing with everyone on this site…i was arguing the fact that michael took it upon himself to delete my post because he felt it was not civil…but to me the post was very civil compared to what i really wanted to say on the subject…just like the way i took the first post on this subject in a way that was contrary to how it was meant to read he took my post the same

    besides i have seen many other posts on this site that were actually hate driven…and they remain in the posts and get argued over and over again

    and i keep posting because this is a very important topic and deserves continuous attention as far as im concerned…

    and you dont get to tell or infer that i “take my marbles and go home” you dont get that right

    @simonas

    but see you are discussing gay rights here…such a statement by a COMPUTER company is just what we need more of…we need more corporations taking such stands in this day and age to get it clear that we deserve the same rights and privileges that everyone else deserves…and just because someone has no choice as to whom they are attracted to…they deserve to be treated as inferior to those that are attracted to the opposite sex…its humanely wrong and unacceptable…and with your questioning and determination to state that you feel that is wrong of them to do…tells what your opinion on the subject really is

  17. @Alex

    You decided to infer that I dislike gay people based on nothing other than the fact that I deleted your post for insulting other people on this thread – and now you’re telling other people that they don’t have the right to infer things? Who are you to tell people what rights they do and do not have?

    You then immediately go into inferring what you believe simonas believes based on reading his posts – not on what he actually said. He asked generic questions that people within the company MIGHT ask as a discussion point….and he wanted to know how a company comes to this kind of decision. That’s not ant-gay, that’s not derogatory or inflammatory. Those are valid questions – no matter what the subject of the company’s support might be.

    For example, if Apple decided to publicly support stem-cell research – it is valid to ask how they came to that decision.

    Just so you know, I’m getting very close to closing comments off of this thread. It’s spiraling into nothing but an argument between you and anyone else who has commented here. I do have the ability to do that, and I do have that right as well – you don’t have to like it – that’s just how it is. If you respond to this with some kind of rant about what I do and do not have the right to do on my own blog, I’m just going to close it off – I’m telling you that up front.

    If you want to discuss this further you’re welcome to email me about it, and you’re welcome to continue talking on here — but if you’re just going to tell all of us how we’re idiots and how we don’t have rights that we clearly do have – then we need to close this up and move on.

  18. @Michael…

    you seem to be the one that has the problem here…it seems to me that things were getting worked out but you continue to threaten me…and thats not kool…i think you need to step back and re-read my posts just like i had to do when i made the mistake of reading the first one wrong

    and i never said that you disliked gay people…i said you were censoring my statements and they were gay comments and that it was a form of discrimination because they were unfairly removed…

    just because someone says something that you dont like…or you decide is not civil…

    your the one that started this problem by even deciding to censor what people can write…none of the other blogs have done such a thing…and from what i see the other blogs are flourishing in comments…but NOT this one because it has become an argument between YOU AND I…and that is prob why this one is not continuing with new and poignant commentary…

    so maybe you should close this blog because due to the fact that you are the one that caused this upheaval of drama…being that you took it upon yourself to censor what I said…and you know what?

    …everything that was mentioned in my original post has been mentioned anyway…and mostly by you

    im sure you are not going to see what your actions in this situation has caused…but the fact of the matter is…this became a conversation between me and whomever else had commented here…NOT TRUE…i have only had conversation with YOU, ERIC and simonas…there are a few other people that have commented on this post that have not been included in this situation…so making that statement that this is all about me is wrong

    Kolby Allen, Matt Garrett, and George were all other bloggers that were not involved in this conversation…granted that if there had not been this issue between YOU AND I…then maybe the blog would look more like the other blogs on this same topic

    you may not see it but you are the one that blew this way out of proportion and i am the one that was not going to allow you to silence me

    feel free to close this blog because the last thing i want is to continue this crap any longer
    you seem to feel that you are the almighty power…well enjoy your power…its lonely at the top

    and if i had had your email address we could have continued this conversation…but you have mine because it is attached to every one of my posts…and you have not taken it upon yourself to make this conversation private

    so it seems to me that you like this public situation…maybe you just want to show everyone that you are the boss and that you want everyone to see that you are threatening me

    SHUT HER DOWN if that is what you want to do…peace be with you

  19. Human beings are very interesting. Why is it important to ANYONE who anyone else is sleeping with! Isn’t that like having an opinion on which side I prefer sleeping on? Can you imagine a headline saying:

    “People angry because government is banning sleeping on right side!”

    People who think that its their right to have an opinion about other people’s sex lives, what they aught to do and what not should just GROW UP and live and let live. If Religion is what enticed you to have a personal opinion about other people’s sex lives, maybe you should question that while you’re at it!