Roger Fingas
Via a press statement, Apple on Thursday officially backed the Equality Act, an expansion of 1964's Civil Rights Act that — if voted in — would add gender identity and sexual orientation to non-discrimination protections for Americans.
The statement appeared on the website of Human Rights Campaign, an activist organization devoted to LGBT issues. The proposed legislation was introduced to Congress on Tuesday afternoon, and has the support of other major corporations like Dow and Levi Strauss.
"At Apple we believe in equal treatment for everyone, regardless of where they come from, what they look like, how they worship or who they love," Apple wrote. "We fully support the expansion of legal protections as a matter of basic human dignity."
Most U.S. states still lack non-discrimination laws for the LGBT community. Such laws can be controversial, since they sometimes conflict with conservative religious views, but supporters consider them essential to safeguarding access to jobs, housing and other civil rights.
Apple has been a leading corporate backer of LGBT causes for decades, having been one of the first American companies to offer equal benefits to same-sex couples. It vocally and financially opposed a 2008 ballot measure that temporarily banned gay marriage in California, and current CEO Tim Cook — who is gay himself — has spoken out repeatedly on LGBT issues.
The company has also become a staple of San Francisco's annual Pride Parade. In June, thousands of Apple workers and supporters marched for the parade's 45th anniversary, wearing official t-shirts and carrying a corporate banner.
Stephen Silver
Christine McKee
Charles Martin
Amber Neely
64 Comments
I'm absolutely SHOCKED at this news, I expected Apple to back the discrimination of LGBT. Cue the predictable false shock and outrage to come from the incessant trolls.
Ridiculous
the incessant trolls.
Internet troll: A person whose sole purpose in life is to seek out people to argue with on the internet over extremely trivial issues.
(that's from Urban Dictionary)
I'd hardly consider people's personal beliefs to be classified as "extremely trivial issues". News flash: people will disagree with you. Deal with it.
Internet troll: A person whose sole purpose in life is to seek out people to argue with on the internet over extremely trivial issues.
(that's from Urban Dictionary)
I'd hardly consider people's personal beliefs to be classified as "extremely trivial issues". News flash: people will disagree with you. Deal with it.
he said incessant not internet
Internet troll: A person whose sole purpose in life is to seek out people to argue with on the internet over extremely trivial issues.
(that's from Urban Dictionary)
I'd hardly consider people's personal beliefs to be classified as "extremely trivial issues". News flash: people will disagree with you. Deal with it.
You can have all the personal beliefs you want, as long as you don't infringe on the freedom of others. But people like you want to shove their personal beliefs down the throats of others, and decide what they can and can't do- and everything you believe they shouldn't be able to do, always falls in the category of things you yourself can do- conveniently. Apple supporting equality does NOT infringe upon you or your rights in any way whatsoever, nor does it affect you negatively, so deal with that. The fact that you want Apple to run according to your "personal beliefs" is so utterly childish and ludicrous.
A troll is also someone who harps on the same shit no matter what the evidence is introduced to the contrary, and when they make sure their ideology trumps rationality. You go nuts in all these threads, and make laughable statements (like blaming any issues you have with Apple products on Cook's gayness) so don't pretend you're above being a troll. I couldn't care less about your personal beliefs- they can be whatever you want. What I do have a problem with is your petty and childish attitude that a global almost trillion $$ corporation should mirror your personal beliefs in their social and corporate policies.