Apple is contributing $100,000 to fight Proposition 8, the California ballot measure that would define marriage as only between a man and a woman. The company's announcement today came as the fight over Prop. 8 grows hotly contested, with recent polls showing the race tightening. - Leo Laporte

Go Apple!! - Mr. Enn

You won't see any new Apple products in my house. That is low. A private company supporting a political cause, that a majority of Americans disagree with. That was a dumb move. You've lost mine, and many others' business, Apple. - Kevin Porter from twhirl

I will keep my iPod nano, thank you, and likely buy another. However, I think it would make more sense is Steve put the money up himself and not directly involve the company. - Shawn Poulson

Kevin, you sound like a homophobic person. -1 Way to go Apple. +1 for you. :) - Molly, "sorry"

Molly, I'm not homophobic. I am a supporter of the sacredness of marriage. Marriage was ment to be for a man and a woman only, not a man and man or a woman and woman. It is not right, nor is it naturally given to us. - Kevin Porter from twhirl

As Apple states, it's not just political, it's about civil rights. Are you going to stop using Google for searching as well? http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008... - Rick Powell

@Kevin, you're confusing different types/meanings of "marriage." Religious marriage is not the same as legal or social/cultural marriage. Religious marriage is (and should continue to remain) separate from legal marriage. (Though they're usually held simultaneously). Forcing others to adhere to your opinion is what's not right. - Tanath

Hey Kevin - I am so thankful of Apple. My civil rights are being stripped away by people like you who use nonsensical talking points. It is disgusting that people who live in another state are pouring millions of dollars into Prop 8. The love between a man and a man and a woman and a woman, is not second class. We will not sit in the back of the bus anymore! - PC Easy from twhirl

Since I just got marrried recently to my partner of 16.5 years (straight), I think my gay and lesbian friends and a gay relative deserve the same right. We had a civil ceremony, and the day we got married, we were very touched by the gay and lesbian couples marrying at the same time. I hope and pray these people's marriages will not be voided on Nov. 4th. They deserve the same rights that my husband and I have enjoyed. - Cathryn Hrudicka

civil rights are what laws give you! or am I wrong? - directeur

Now I have more reason to dislike Apple. - Jake (aka Jawee)

Why shouldn't Apple contribute...we talk about corporations acting ecologically friendly why shouldn't they act morally as well. Apple is saying they have a valued segment of employees that will be negatively affected by others who are trying to take the current rights they hold away. Standing up for your the civil rights of your employees is admirable and Apple will continue to be a company I support. - Sidney

"morally" ? you must be kidding. This "morally" adjective is also used by the ones against it. Business is one thing, social life-style is another. All this is marketing, and a cheap one ; 100.000 for such advertising, now this is "marketing" - directeur from NoiseRiver

Kevin: your bigotry and old ideas are not well thought out. Personally I wish our society would separate the legal rights of marriage from the religious/cultural implications of same. I don't really care what you want to do in your own church, but when it comes to legal rights everyone should be treated equally. Kevin: you sound like those who argued against civil rights in the 50s/60s. Amazing that such ideas still exist in modern society. - Robert Scoble

I see it as Apple supporting the civil rights of its gay and lesbian employees. If you don't like gay marriage, don't enter into one. - Michael Markman

Markman: So since I do support gay marriage then I should enter into one? :-) Someone had to say it! - Stephen Foskett

Kevin: Your feed has some old status updates where you support the Presidential candidate who dumped his sick wife to marry a younger, richer woman that he had an affair with. Now that you've decided to vigorously support the sanctity of marriage, shouldn't you be advocating the candidate who has stuck with one wife his entire life? - Bruce Lewis

But if gays get civil rights, soon everyone will want them... - Indio Apache from twhirl

Bruce: awesome point!!!! - Robert Scoble

100k? that's like 1k to a company like apple.... - Patricia

Bad move, Bruce, now the McPalin campaign will spend millions trying to accuse Obama of multiple secret infidelities that began before he entered kindergarten! (I had to edit that; it could take a really sick turn) - MiniMage TKDteacher of FF

While I personally support "No on 8," and I appreciate Apple's donation, I have to admit I get a bit queasy when corporations can donate such huge amounts to political causes. It has the capability of putting their interests so far ahead of everyone else's, and that could easily be abused (and has, I might add). - Mistletoe Glen

Ain't that McCain's October Surprise? Some woman that'll claim she's Obama's babymomma? - Victor Ganata

Victor: if they had something like that they would have already pulled it. The early voting is locking in the vote every day (you should see the lines all over the country). McCain's campaign is in dire trouble and they needed to pull something like that a week ago, not next week. - Robert Scoble

If the LDS as a Church (aka religious corporation) can donate why can't Apple? - Sidney

aka Taylor: not to mention that LDS isn't even located inside California. Apple is and its employees are totally affected when they lose their rights due to a church trying to take away legal rights. - Robert Scoble

If the prop passes it only puts off the inevitable. Freedom always wins out in the long run. - Chrimmus Tad

Tad, this is very true. - PC Easy from twhirl

I wonder if Chis Pirillo read this... - Amir

Most homosexual people i know own at least one apple product (a macbook in most cases). that's because apple's are not asw ugly as the rest of the "techie things". I am not gay, and i personally like the old IBM thinkpad design. so fo Apple such a move is quite logical, and, it will generate a tremendous ROI! as for Kevin - mate, don't show too much of your (nothing personal) ignorant views. it's actually a fact that homosexuality is normal for most animals. agree or disagree, but we are animals as well - Kirill Bolgarov

what a sad f'in country America is that this is even necessary. Just pathetic. - Maverick

what a world - Stowe Boyd

Robert and aka, to clarify: The LDS church is not donating for Yes on 8. They are encouraging their members to support the multi-faith group "Protect Marriage" that supports Prop 8. I would be more careful in terms of how that is portrayed, though the misunderstanding is easy. - Louis Gray

Louis: ABC news radio was reporting today that 30 to 40% of the Yes on 8 ad money came from the LDS church. In any case, that's hardly any different. This is an issue that in 50 to 100 years your organization will end up apologizing for, just like churches have had to apologize for being on the wrong line of justice and decency before. - Robert Scoble

Louis: http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008... - Robert Scoble

Robert, yes, the link shows 30-40% of the ad money has come from church members. The church has itself not donated. - Louis Gray

I'm sorry to say this, but this ignorance makes me really sad. It's the 21st century and people hate homosexuals. It's sad that homosexuals can't get the same rights as hetro married couples. I'm sick of people going, "Oh It's immoral." People don't choose to be gay, yeah, people LOVE getting discriminated and attacked. Oh yeah, I'd so love that. - Molly, "sorry"

Louis: interesting that you make a distinction between an organization and its members. I do not. They are one and the same, particularly when leaders of that organization are encouraging the members to do something specific. - Robert Scoble

Robert, also, this pro-8 campaign was actually instigated by the Catholic church, and the LDS church jumped on after being approached by the Catholic church if I read right. http://www.sltrib.com/ci_1079... It's not to be ignored though that a large percentage of the LDS Church members are in support of it regardless. - Jesse Stay

Several churches (including my own, Lutheran Church Missouri Synod) have voiced long-standing opposition to gay marriage. While these churches may not themselves be directly donating, they are certainly contributing in kind (see the LCMS page I stumbled upon earlier). - Ontario Emperor from fftogo

That having been said, I do differentiate between an organization and its members. Not every person who walks into an LDS or whatever church agrees with its teachings (most notably pro-choice Catholics, and Quakers such as Nixon who fought in World War II). There are probably many Apple and Google employees who support Proposition 8. McCain has voted against Republicans, and Obama has probably voted against Democrats. Few organizations if any reflect their members 100%. - Ontario Emperor from fftogo

My tangent on individuals vs. organizations was pursued further in this blog post http://mrontemp.blogspot.com/2008... - Ontario Emperor

Several churches (including my own, the United Church of Canada) have voiced support for same-gender marriage. My husband and I first applied for a marriage license about 20 years ago, and we had to wait a while to get it. ;) As for Kevin's comments, they remind me of a cartoon I saw in the paper, which depicts two couples, drinks in hand, chatting at a party, with one of them saying: "Gay marriage makes a mockery of all three of my marriages." - Jerome