As reported by Scoble, Microsoft is again in favor of the bill that bans discrimination against gay people in housing employment. (though it's too late for the Washington legislative session this year).
The reversal was prompted by widespread complaints by Microsoft employees and media coverage, after the story was broken by The Stranger, an alternative newspaper in Seattle, and John Aravosis of AmericaBlog. So much for the lobbyists's boast that nobody would notice.
In a memo posted on Channel 9, Microsoft's online forum, CEO Steve Ballmer explained why Microsoft is taking a position on a public policy question:
I’m proud of Microsoft’s commitment to non-discrimination in our internal policies and benefits, but our policies can’t cover the range of housing, education, financial and similar services that our people and their partners and families need. Therefore, it’s appropriate for the company to support legislation that will promote and protect diversity in the workplace.
I am very happy to see the Microsoft executive team do the right thing, and glad that enough people spoke up to help the execs change their minds.
Posted by alevin at May 7, 2005 12:03 PM | TrackBack