Mozilla CEO Steps Down After OkCupid Boycott

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Mozilla CEO Brendan Eich has resigned after OkCupid urged users to boycott it’s Firefox browser over a donation Eich made to opponents of gay marriage in California.

 

The company was slammed last month after Brendan Eich, a known opponent of gay marriage, was appointed CEO of Mozilla. In 2008, Eich donated $1,000 to a group campaigning against marriage equality in California.

The announcement comes days after one of the world’s leading dating websites, OkCupid, greeted Firefox users with a message explaining why it’s owners feel that Eich is “an opponent of equal rights for gay couples,” and explained, “we would prefer that our users not use Mozilla software to access OkCupid.”

The message included links to alternative web browsers such as Internet Explorer and Google Chrome.

Mozilla Executive Chairperson Mitchell Baker wrote in a blog post, “We didn’t act like you’d expect Mozilla to act. We didn’t move fast enough to engage with people once the controversy started. We’re sorry.”

Regarding who will take Eich’s place at the helm, Baker explained that it is “still being discussed” and more information will be announced next week.

© 2014 GCN (Gay Community News). All rights reserved.

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