SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
National Journal's Rebecca Nelson reports about the Republicans lurking in the shadows of the Bay Area:
Deep in Silicon Valley, where the free market reigns and the exchange of ideas is celebrated, a subset of tech workers are hiding their true selves.
They're the tech company employees, startup founders, and CEOs who vote for and donate to Republican candidates, bucking the Bay Area's liberal supremacy. Fearing the repercussions of associating with a much-maligned minority, they keep their political views fiercely hidden.
The consequences for being outed for conservative views can be dire. In a highly public controversy last year, newly-hired Mozilla CEO Brendan Eich stepped down after critics attacked his 2008 donation to support Proposition 8, the anti-same-sex marriage law in California. Eich, who declined to comment for this story, faced an internal uprising from within the Mozilla community, as well as boycotts from other tech companies, and quit after just two weeks on the job.
(Score: 2) by q.kontinuum on Thursday April 09 2015, @08:56PM
So? It's a celebration of a couple and their invited guests. It should have no impact on society. (It might have because there are many getting upset about things which shouldn't concern them,)
If a photographer would argue he couldn't do this, I could understand. Even if he says he doesn't want to, because it means spending a significant amount of time on a celebration he can't relate to, I could understand and applaud his honesty while also questioning his professionalism.
How can an event be a lie? The intent might be considered a lie by some, the event simply takes place.
So far, no problem. It's only a cake, and if they like that shape - so what. If they like, I'd make it butt-shaped. Maybe not a swastika, but other than that I wouldn't mind much.
That's where the difference lies. A wedding, gay or straight, is an event for the people getting married. A fund raising event is an event to influence politics in a way which might have very practical implications to everyone. Also being gay is not a decision, being republican or NRA-proponent is.
They shouldn't be forced. Reason see above.
...and you might lose a lot of straight customers as well. This [newmediarockstars.com] story is interesting: A pizza-store which announced they'd stop serving gay people based on the new law. They had to close down due to the backlash. They got donations from supporters of their policy, but I predict, the backlash would grow while support-donations would decline over time, should other shops follow.
Registered IRC nick on chat.soylentnews.org: qkontinuum
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 09 2015, @10:49PM
> backlash
To be fair, it seems they were getting a lot of prank delivery orders. A couple of those a day can be the difference between the black and the red.
> They got donations from supporters of their policy, but I predict, the backlash would grow while support-donations would decline over time, should other shops follow.
Well, people went fuckin nuts to support chik-fil-a after their CEO advertised his anti-gayness. Like crazy fucking nuts. [washingtonexaminer.com]
With $800K they don't even have to stay open anymore, they won the lotto. But, for a small restaurant it doesn't take all that many dedicated customers to keep it afloat. And that's the thing about being a bigotted business - as long as there are enough people who aren't offended by your discrimination because its not directed at them personally it doesn't really matter if you shit on minorities or not. Their $$ vote doesn't count.
(Score: 2) by q.kontinuum on Friday April 10 2015, @10:03AM
Maybe. The next job that tries it might still get ~$700K, the next-next ~$500K, and so on. People will get more and more tired of paying for all shops rejecting their paying customers. On the other hand I think the support for gay-rights is growing, the amount of people willing to boycott such backward will increase. I might be wrong, of course, but I think the assumptions are reasonable enough...
Registered IRC nick on chat.soylentnews.org: qkontinuum
(Score: 1) by tftp on Thursday April 09 2015, @11:41PM
So far, no problem. It's only a cake, and if they like that shape - so what. If they like, I'd make it butt-shaped. Maybe not a swastika, but other than that I wouldn't mind much.
It's just your threshold is different. You stop at the swastika. You most certainly would stop if the customer wants you to write obscenities about your own family. You most certainly would stop if the customer wants you to make a cake that celebrates racism. Those examples only prove the simple point: everyone has a threshold past which they won't go, no matter what. Christians place their threshold at celebration of LGBT practices. You place your threshold at celebration of fascism. There is no fundamental difference between you and them.
...and you might lose a lot of straight customers as well. This story is interesting: A pizza-store which announced they'd stop serving gay people based on the new law. They had to close down due to the backlash.
I don't think it is proper to refuse sale of common, standard products to gay people. However if the owner only refuses to participate in gay activities, it certainly should be his right. I would definitely buy from them, no matter if the owners are gay or anti-gay themselves, as long as they sell what I want. If they don't, I'll have to look for someone else who will make me an FSM-themed cake. (It may well be that a Christian baker will not want to support proud wearers of colanders.)