Bravo to both Cyrus and Scoble for their recent comments lamenting Microsoft’s decision to pull support for Washington’s anti-discrimination bill.
When I got SteveB’s memo in my inbox yesterday, I was sad too. I recognize that Microsoft is a business, and that as a business we have certain priorities. Some things align clearly with throse priorities and some don’t. There wasn’t a direct business justification for supporting this bill, and in that respect I guess I can acknowledge the company’s decision not to lend official support for it. But still, I couldn’t help but feel that we’d passed up an opportunity to do some good in the world.
There’s no doubt that Microsoft is a progressive company when it comes to human rights. Our anti-discrimination policy is very strong, and it’s no secret that MS offers its employees same-sex domestic partner benefits. The company’s position regarding discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is definitely public knowledge.
All we had to do was stand up in a public forum and tell the legislature what everyone already knew — that the bill under consideration aligned with Microsoft’s company values and internal policies. It wouldn’t have surprised anyone. And maybe – just maybe – that simple act of stating the obvious might have tipped the vote the other way.
It’s too bad that a company that’s about empowering people through great software isn’t also about empowering people through legislation that guarantees them a fundamental level of equality.
