Mozilla and Brendan Eich – A Quick Reminder

Mozilla’s statement concerning the resignation of CEO Brendan Eich has left many scratching their heads. This part of the statement is especially troubling:

“Our organizational culture reflects diversity and inclusiveness. We welcome contributions from everyone regardless of age, culture, ethnicity, gender, gender-identity, language, race, sexual orientation, geographical location and religious views. Mozilla supports equality for all.”

Since Brendan resigned due to the enormous pressure he and Mozilla received because of his support of legislation against gay marriage, this appears to be a textbook case of hypocrisy. After all, if “diversity and inclusiveness” are coupled with welcoming contributions from “everyone”, then it seems rather contradictory to push out your CEO for his personal views and convictions.

But we have to remember what is really happening here.

I have been writing for some time on what I believe is the primary reason the conversation concerning the normalization of homosexuality and gay marriage is all but over. Culturally and corporately speaking, sexual orientation is analogous with race. With that in mind, consider a slightly different reality. Consider if the above statement from Mozilla was issued after a CEO was found to be supporting organizations that were racist and were propagating literature to increase the awareness of “white-pride.” My hunch is that no one would find Mozilla’s statement to be hypocritical at that point, since welcoming “contributions from everyone” and supporting “equality for all” does not negate the termination of an overt racist. Notice that “race” and “sexual orientation” are side by side in Mozilla’s statement. I’m not suggesting this placement was an intentional means to demonstrate the aforementioned equation of race=sexual orientation, but it nevertheless provides insight to why Mozilla will never view their statement and Eich’s resignation as a double standard.  

Having said that, Mozilla’s inclusion of “religious views” among the list of attributes from which they welcome contribution is dishonest. That should have been left out. Clearly, Mozilla will discriminate (and I’m not using that word negatively, every law and policy discriminates to a certain degree) based on certain religious views should they conflict with the worldview Mozilla has embraced.

So, here is just another reminder to evangelical Christians – this conversation among your friends, Twitter followers, family, coworkers, and the rest will be over before it begins. Conservative Christians will begin to consider if they need to keep their mouths shut in order to maintain their corporate and business identities in a culture that is rapidly demonstrating an intolerance to certain views.    

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