“I got to the point where I didn’t want to risk having anybody firing me or telling me what to do or holding me back because I was gay”

SOUNDBITES — “That was certainly the case for me. I got to the point where I didn’t want to risk having anybody firing me or telling me what to do or holding me back because I was gay. As an entrepreneur, because I was the boss, nobody could hurt me. In 29 states, you can be fired just because your employer thinks you’re gay, and there is no recourse. It’s ridiculous.” —WordPerfect creator and philanthropist Bruce Bastian, who says it was easier to be a gay entrepreneur than a gay corporate cog [BW]