Andrew Sullivan, openly gay blogger and former editor of The New Republic, believes the gay rights movement and LGBT activists have become just as “fanatical” as the religious right.
He’s also pissed that a grassroots campaign managed to oust homophobic Mozilla CEO Brendan Eich this week — we violated his First Amendment rights, you guys.
As if writing a page for a Brandon Ambrosino fantasy novel, Sullivan published his thoughts at The Dish yesterday, lambasting LGBT activists for orchestrating Eich’s ousting:
Will he now be forced to walk through the streets in shame? Why not the stocks? The whole episode disgusts me – as it should disgust anyone interested in a tolerant and diverse society. If this is the gay rights movement today – hounding our opponents with a fanaticism more like the religious right than anyone else – then count me out. If we are about intimidating the free speech of others, we are no better than the anti-gay bullies who came before us.
It’s useful to note that Eich wasn’t technically ousted or fired as the nonprofit corporation’s CEO. After his recent appointment, it came to light that he had donated funds in favor of passing California’s Prop 8 years ago, and rightfully stepped down after feeling pressure from activists and other major corporations alike.
In another blog post that followed, First Amendment crusader Sullivan says “parts of the gay movement” are obviously ugly and intolerant — Eich “was a victim”!
So stop being such mean bullies, you guys. You’re hurting the homophobe’s feelings 🙁
Stefano
Not another jerk who needs attention !
renly
How dare we voice our displeasure with someone who actively spends millions of dollars to make our lives miserable. Shame on us.
AxelDC
First of all, Sullivan should know that the 1st Amendment only applies to government. No American is required to buy the products of a company. If a company violates our principles, such as hiring a KKK member as a CEO, it is our rights as consumers not to purchase that product. When there is a simple competing product, such as Google Chrome, it makes such a boycott fairly simple.
Sullivan also fails to mention that Mozilla employees had protested his hiring based on his bigoted statements. He was fired not because OKCupid went after him, but because the ground had already softened beneath his feet before him. Sullivan denigrates the rights of Mozilla employees by implying that nasty, mean-spirited gays ruined this poor man’s career. He was already on the hot seat before this came to public light.
Finally, calling gays “bullies” is a blame the victims game. Were Jews bullies for standing up to Nazis? Was Rosa Parks a bully for not submitting to segregation? Standing up for yourself is only called bullying by the bully who gets his nose bloodied. I never gave money to fight against his marital rights.
Louis
Man I wish people like Sullivan would just shut the fuck up already.
As if YOUR VOICE IS THE ONLY ONE THAT COUNTS PLEASE!
All I ever see is quit whining bitching complaining pussies etc etc etc…
Im sorry I thought I was a part of a community that STOOD UP FOR ITSELF and had their voices when they needed them .
My bad guess I was wrong. Face palm.
Desert Boy
Andrew Sullivan is a professional concern troll.
kevininbuffalo
Andrew is right. This is all about silencing speech, this is bullying. This is not about sending anyone to the gas chambers, it’s about the right of people to freely express an opinion. Freedom of speech is something the left hates even more than the right does. GLADD for instance, exists for no other reason than to limit and control speech.
William Blake wrote a poem entitled “The Grey Monk.” the closing lines are appropriate;
“The hand of vengeance found the bed
To which the purple tyrant fled.
The iron hand crushed the tyrants head,
And became a tyrant in his stead.”
Louis
Then you tell that too the bigots who get away with not only discriminating against people who are gay lesbian bisexual and transgender but also those who kill those who are LGBT.
I guess if they called someone the f word right before killing them that would be considered free speech
This guy will bounce back they always do look at Paula Dean shes well on her way back slowly but surely even after her racist crud.
Louis
@kevininbuffalo:
Tell that too those whose lives are taken that are lgbt .
Those whose last words they hear are the q word the f word etc…
I guess though that’s their freedom of speech.
Louis
@kevininbuffalo:
The man also intentionally contributed too an organization that intentionally planned on stripping deserving Americans of their right and liberty too marry the person they want too marry.
He contributed too a campaign that caused a lot of people a lot of heartache and pain and that campaign also caused more division and intolerance towards us by those who already had something against us treating us as if we were the villains.
AxelDC
It is not bullying to stand up for yourself. Employees at Mozilla did not want to work for a publicly professed antigay bigot. You seem to have more concern for the career of a wealthy CEO than for the lives and dignity of his gay employees.
ryanthehulk
From the onset this entire thing was handled horribly. This could all have been avoided by stating (whether true or not) that his position on the matter has changed, which has actually happened for a lot of people since that time, 2008 was six years ago. He releases a statement saying how he supports marriage equality now, how proud he is to work for an inclusive company like Google. Maybe he makes a nominal donation to a pro-equality organization, when the time comes have Google file an amicus brief in a marriage equality court case.
It’s public relations, not rocket science.
HirsuteOne
According to new reports, Eich also donated to far-right extremists Pat Buchanan and Ron Paul. Apparently it’s not a good fit having a bigot at the helm of an international company that upholds progressive and inclusive values and worldviews.
Actions have consequences. You learn that in Kindergarten. Freedom allows you to donate to whom you wish and express your views as you see fit, but it doesn’t protect you from the fallout of negative actions. You learn that in 9th grade Civics class.
Ironic how last week NOM and other Christian groups were chastising Eich and Mozilla and calling for boycotts because they didn’t hate LGBT people enough. This week, they’re screaming tolerance for Eich’s views.
litper
That homophobe Sullivan should be boycotted by all gays!
deltabadhand
I don’t agree with Sullivan on any of this except for a little bit on the notion of bullying. I don’t think we bullied Eich per se, but I did wonder why people went ape shit over this when Google’s execs have been donating to and lobbying the right wing for years. Google’s execs have even given money to the gay marriage hating Heritage Foundation. http://www.prwatch.org/news/2013/11/12319/google-funding-grover-norquist-heritage-action-alec-and-more
I saw tons of folks posting on FB that they were switching from Firefox to Chrome, and when I pointed out that Google’s head folks are just as bad, everyone gave Google a pass. I just think we need to be consistent.
reallygoodthings
He says:
“If this is the gay rights movement today – hounding our opponents with a fanaticism more like the religious right than anyone else – then count me out.”
Ok. We’ll count you out. I mean, an extreme right wing, republican gay blogger. We’ll count you out.
xzall
@kevininbuffalo: As AxelIDC has already pointed out, The man was not fired he QUIT and that it was probably due to the protests of the employees at Mozilla. But that doesn’t fit the Persecution Complex you’re currently enjoying does it?
Of course Andrew Sullivan doesn’t waste his time crying over stories with real victims like the mother who killed her child because she thought he might be gay or the boy who was abused because of being gay and had to be adopted by another family. No, he saves his tears and his endless whining for the wealthy yahoos who propagate their hate freely, like this guy, the Duck dynasty guy and the head of Chick Fil A. Maybe Andrew Sullivan feels some kind of affinity to them. After all at one time, he also was in complete support of Prop 8.
And read the article by Signorile in HuffPo. As he pointed out, it’s when the company found out that Eich also gave money to Pat Buchanan among others, that it began to see that he wasn’t in line with their ideals.
Also maybe consider stop wasting your time crying over millionaires as this guy is still employed for the company and probably got lots of compensation for ‘quitting.’
HirsuteOne
MY views on our own dear little Sully….well, every civil rights struggle has it’s own “Uncle Tom” who assisted the oppressors with sycophant loyalty. He’s just ours.
AxelDC
I used to read Andrew Sullivan religiously when his blog first began. I then realized the only value was finding interesting articles across the web. His own opinions provided very little value-added. He pretends to understand politics and is as wrong as any other pundit. His understanding of economics is next to zero and instead he prefers to wax nostalgic about Margaret Thatcher and Winston Churchill.
When he lost his contract with the Atlantic and began to beg for money from his readers, I’d finally had enough. Seeing this pathetic display of sympathy for the overprivileged reminds me why I tired of him.
drivendervish
@kevininbuffalo: Sorry, Andrew isn’t right and neither are you. It wasn’t just gay people who are against a bigot being the CEO of a progressive company. It is people who don’t believe in hate and discrimination who stood up and said it is wrong for a person who is intolerant of diversity to be the CEO of Mozilla. That’s it!
sportyguy1983
He is right about some activists being ugly and intolerant but like so many people, he gets the whole first amendment argument wrong. The first amendment only applies to government entities and not private people. This guy was allowed to support what he wants, but there are consequences to all our actions and speech.
Kieran
You got to give Sullivan credit for guts. He is uncomfortable, as any tolerant person should be, with demanding and getting someones head on a platter because of a political campaign contribution they made. Andrew Sullivan has voiced reservations about that, which is his right. He must know that he will be the object of furious derision for failing to go along with gay group-think. Afterall, he’s been there before. Apparently he doesn’t give a shit. Good for him.
Already we’ve got a totalitarian asshole on here saying Sullivan should be “boycotted by all gays!”. You don’t promote tolerance and diversity in America by being intolerant and rigid yourself.
misterhollywood
Sometimes he can be a helpful voice but sometimes he just says stuff that is not helpful and frankly, uncalled for. I do think in many cases his heart is in the right place but geeze, hard to defend this kind of stuff.
Cam
So Sullivan thinks that bigots should have the freedom to be bigots, but that gays have to be forced to patronize the bigots business otherwise gays are evil bullies and intolerant.
SO bigots being bigots is free speech, but gays not wanting to give money to bigots is gays being bullies.
Ok Sully, Got it.
kevins48
to not too
Stefano
@Cam : “SO bigots being bigots is free speech, but gays not wanting to give money to bigots is gays being bullies.” that resume very well his opinion.
FitChicago
@deltabadhand: you raise a very important point; we do need to be much more consistent in holding people accountable and not pick and choose in a manner that often finds us raising our voices against the actions of individuals/groups/nations while giving a free pass and remaining silent about others guilty of the same actions.
For example, exactly one week ago President Obama visited Saudi Arabia. In Saudi Arabia “homosexual conduct” is punishable by death and gays are often banned from schools, thrown in jail, and frequently whipped thousands of times simply for the crime of being gay.
Although just 48 hours before arriving in Saudi Arabia President Obama condemned the Russian Federation anti-gay law, when it came to the draconian, horrific Saudi anti-gay laws there was complete silence from the media and every human rights and gay rights group. There was not a single article about this posted on any LGBT news site or by any mainstream media outlet. Not one gay rights or human rights group issued a press release about the Saudi treatment of gays before or during President Obama’s visit when it would have been most effective.
To be honest I’m still having trouble understanding this silence because I trust that if awareness was raised the voice of our community which protested Russia’s laws would have been a million times louder against Saudi Arabia’s horrific laws yet the world remains silent as Saudi Arabia executes, bans from schools, incarcerates, and whips gay men simply for who they love.
queerbec
hich homophobe was the article referring to in the last sentence? Eich or Sullivan? Why wasn’t he in Mississippi yesterday condemning the legislature for passing the bill permitting discrimination against gays and lesbians based upon religious beliefs and on the Governor for signing it? Oh I forgot, they are all Republicans so their free market beliefs get them a mulligan and as a Catholic, Mr. Sullivan no doubt sympathizes with religious entities also being victims.
Polaro
Anger is a great motivator. There is a lot of anger here. When it is the only governor on one’s thoughts and voice it is dangerous, however. More care is needed in how we move forward lest we set ourselves back a long way. Remember, the real world is not like our little gay echo chamber here. I suggest we should be more thoughtful. We’re going to take some big hits in the right-wing and even mainstream media for “forcing” this “poor” man out of his job. It is manna from heaven for the right wing. We handed it right to them.
Stefano
@Polaro : are you afraid ?
Niall
Andrew Sullivan also seems to like the pope, so…
Bad Ass Biker
@AxelDC: There is no original thought on Andrew’s so called blog. The ONLY thing he does is present articles by other writers and then add his little two cents worth to them. And he flaps around like a flag in the wind. Today President Obama has made the biggest mistake in his career; tomorrow, what he did will have been one of the most brilliant things since he has been in office. And for those of you who are younger than me, I will never forget his scathing articles in Poz magazine at the beginning of the AIDS epidemic, taking everone to task for unsafe sex and then he was outed for posting online for bareback sex after he was diagnosed as being HIV+. Irrelevant hypocrite.
GlitterKidder
Ms. Sullivan has a long history of self hate & loathing. The real question is why Queerty feels the need to give him a platform on their website. No one is buying what you’re selling sister. “Opinions are like assholes, everyone has one, and everyone thinks everyone else’s stinks.” “Your opinion is none of my business.”
HirsuteOne
A great addition to the response to Sullivan’s homocon activities:
http://www.bilerico.com/2014/04/no_andrew_sullivan_calling_out_bigotry_intolerance.php
Polaro
@Stefano: Of stupid people sending us backwards? Yes. Would you be one of them?
DarkZephyr
@kevininbuffalo:
Silencing speech? Call it what you want but I am not contributing financially to an Anti-Gay bigot. Please explain to me why I should. Thanks in advance.
showertile
@Cam: No one said anything about being forced to purchase a product.
showertile
Whether he’s a complete turd or not, Eich was bullied into leaving his job.
DarkZephyr
@Polaro: I would find that highly ironic. We are “bullies” who “forced” this bigot out because we didn’t want to use his product, yet they the bigots should be able to pick and choose WHICH of their products they will grace us with the right to use, such as wedding cakes, flowers and photography sessions?
So to break it down…We better use their products that they LET us use, or we are evil and intolerant, but if we WANT to have one of them bake us a damned cake or take our damned picture and they refuse to do so because we are homos and its against their religion, we better not complain or…we are evil and intolerant? Sounds like Republican logic all right.
DarkZephyr
@showertile:
“No one said anything about being forced to purchase a product.”
But…that is what we did. We said we would not use Firefox because the CEO is homophobe. You are basically declaring that because we didn’t want to patronize a homophobe’s product we are bullies. Observe:
“Whether he’s a complete turd or not, Eich was bullied into leaving his job.”
All we did was vocalize the fact that we were boycotting his product. You call that bullying, so you contradict yourself.
Uppity
My understanding is that further investigations revealed Eich had contributed to campaigns for Pat Buchanan and Ron Paul, and those revelations sealed his fate.
Mike
I feel no guilt. Let someone else turn the other cheek for a few decades. Fuck ’em
luvchristopher
This douche has finally lost all credibility. We do not have to tolerate intolerance. We should not accept those who take action to exclude. It is not possible to be bigoted against bigotry. Perpetrators are not victims, despite what this extremely privileged, and thereby insulated Gay White Wealthy Boomer Male would have us believe. I feel almost certain that Sullivan’s identification with Eich has more to do with race, class, age, and gender.
Polaro
@DarkZephyr: I did not say that. You can’t read.
s.rex
The LGBT Community is under constant attack from from the Vatican, the fundamentalist Christian pulpit, some African governments, many State governments…and, in particular, Russia…. and the dangerous enemy Sullivan chooses to call out while blogging … are radical LGBT activists? The little man needs a sharper mind and better glasses.
DarkZephyr
@Polaro: I know that YOU didn’t say that. I was reacting to the scenario you suggested here:
“We’re going to take some big hits in the right-wing and even mainstream media for “forcing” this “poor” man out of his job. It is manna from heaven for the right wing. We handed it right to them.”
If they really declare that we “forced” him out of a job simply because we didn’t want to use his product, I would find that highly ironic for the reasons I outlined. Because in other areas they criticize us for TRYING to use their products, like trying to hire them to bake us cakes, take our pictures, design wedding cards or make flower arrangements for us. Or even host our events at their venues. There are SO many times where they have attacked us for complaining when we WANTED To use their damned products that I would find it highly ironic if they criticized us for NOT using one of their products, which is essentially what it would have to boil down to. Do you understand what I am saying now?
Polaro
@DarkZephyr: OK. But I think we are making very differnt points. But, I won’t argue with the point you are making now.
Daniel-Reader
Regarding the creatan losing his job: A tech company/product that wants to appeal to the younger generation to survive isn’t served by being headed by someone who has the opposite values of the majority of the younger generation.
Regarding Andrew: He’s a wanker. Why didn’t he stay in the UK?
jmmartin
Not long ago, Mr. Sullivan debated online with Sam Harris, who arguably started the “New Atheist” movement (the only thing new is the higher number of non-believers each time a poll is taken), on the issue whether mainstream religious folk make people like the Rev. Phred Phelps, the Rev. Scott Lively, and the wannabe Rev. Tony (the PAC man, not the actor) Perkins look credible. If memory serves, the venue was belief.net or one of those non-denominational, anything goes “spiritual” metaphysical sites that actually hold atheism as highly regarded as evangelicalism. I am biased, of course, being a non-believer, but I believe Mr. Harris won hands down, the Roman Catholic Sullivan resorting the circular logic of scripture and Sixpack Chopwood speculation to give validity to his not proved claims. As Richard Dawkins might put it, mainstream Christians, for example, are deluded; evangelicals are mad. The deluded don’t wear their religion on their sleeve and tend to be a lot more open minded. But because both types of believer succumb to birth-indoctrinated religions and sects, both are deluded all the same. Worse, the Andrew Sullivans of this world are the enablers of the Phelpses, Livelys, Perkinses, &c. Religion is bunk. The only God there is is the one between your ears.
DarkZephyr
@jmmartin: The only mention of religion in the article that I saw was Sullivan claiming that LGBT activists are just as fanatical as the religious right. I am not sure where your post fits in.
tjr101
Wait, should I feel sorry that this bigot of a millionaire lost his job?
truckproductions
take a minute to google Andrew Sullivan and you’ll find all of his tirades against homophobia.. He recently attacked Alec Baldwin for his homophobic comments.. he’s at the very least, a hypocrite..
NateOcean
“…a tolerant and diverse society…” says Andrew.
Ha!
I say: “Never be so tolerant that you tolerate intolerance.”
Miss Understood
Boycotting is never wrong. It is never an “attack” and it is never “bullying”. We are not obligated to buy anyone’s products.
Faggot
@deltabadhand: Could you eleborate on Google being just as bad as Mozilla.
Various studies have shown Google to be one of the top gay-friendly places to work.
Thanks.
jar
@Bad Ass Biker: Agreed, BAB. And Sully expressed the same sanctimony and moral outrage then that he does here. It’s a mendacious schtick. Sullivan is a fraud.
Cam
Funny how the right wing keeps screaming that this guy has the right to do whatever he wants, but that a company like OKCupid doesn’t have the right to run their business the way THEY see fit.
Oh that’s right, you only have rights and freedoms if you’re a bigot.
Sullivan is on the outs with the GOP and attacking his own community is apparently his way back in.
lasawesera
Ummm… how were Eich’s Rights infringed upon? I’m confused. Please someone explain it to me slowly, with a chart or a graph. Did he go to jail for his donation? No. His First Amendment Rights are intact. He can continue to donate to causes similar to Prop 8, NO ONE AND NO LAW IS STOPPING HIM. What this is is a case of Free Market Capitalism. No one wants to buy what he is selling.
JJinAus
Umm, Sullivan need as lesson in maths, 8% (at best) of the population cannot bully the other 92%. He is the problem.
woodin
I wonder if Sullivan would take issue, have the same perspective and position on someone donating money to movements to repeal the civil rights laws or disability protection laws, etc…..
No matter who the minority is, it all boils down to discrimination and inequality issues.
christophespeaks
Andrew Sullivan is correct on this. 8 years ago when Brendan Eich donated funds in favor of passing Prop 8, Obama and Hilary Clinton were also not in favor of gay marriage. Times have changed since then. We cannot destroy people’s lives and careers because of their beliefs or for donations they made 8 years ago. It is “fanatical, ugly and intolerant”. Now, if there are current complaints against Eich for being bigoted against LGBT, then there may be a case, but as far as I know, there are none.
Bobby Christina Crawford
From JoeMyGod
“When major national Christian groups with millions of followers call for boycotts, that is a righteous use of the free market in order to preserve morality, marriage, family, and the American way. But if a gay keyboard activist tweets a call for a boycott, THAT is homofascist intimidation, intolerance, bullying, a stifling of religious liberty, and an attempt to deny the freedom of speech. And don’t you forget it.”
mawbinatl
@AxelDC: I totally agree with you. I think that Andrew Sullivan has blown this way out of proportion and taken it way out of context.
I don’t think, while I don’t really know, that there were any protesters outside of Mozilla’s headquarters, any phone calls made to the shareholders or the board.
While he’s correct in stating that Mr. Eich has the First Amendment right to say whatever, we, as gay men and women, have to the right to speak up as well and take our dollars elsewhere if we so choose.
Also, the man resigned from his post (I’m sure at the behest of the powers that be), but do we even know if he’s still with the company?
Ridpathos
I agree with him that some LGBT activists are ugly and intolerant, especially on this site. However I don’t think the Firefox incident was a case of this. He resigned due to company concerns, a boycott, and public concern. Most of this concern was actually voiced by straight allies rather than gay people and rightfully so. We are allowed our First Amendment rights as he was allowed his.
gaym50ish
Eich was not hounded by gay-rights groups. NO gay-rights group called for him to step down. It came from within Mozilla and from OKCupid, which is gay-friendly but could hardly be called a gay group.
SpaceInvader
Andrew Sullivan: professional homo. Right wing republican apologist troll patroller . Where were you during the Olypmics? When Arizona/Mississippi /Kansas,etc.,were passing anti-gay legislation? Oh that’s right in Washington,DC.And only now you open your pie hole,you Benedict Arnold !!! Be quiet you only speak for yourself. You’re so irrelevant anyway.
christophespeaks
Eich was fired because of a publicity stunt by OK Cupid. These companies use politics as a way of marketing and publicity. It is so obviously disingenuous. People need to wake up and realize they are being manipulated. http://uncrunched.com/2014/04/06/the-hypocrisy-of-sam-yagan-okcupid/
christophespeaks
@gaym50ish:
read this –
http://uncrunched.com/2014/04/06/the-hypocrisy-of-sam-yagan-okcupid/
sejjo
Yeah, homophobes have feelings too.
LibertyGuy
Boycotting is a time honorred way for minority groups to get their need for equal treatment across. Eich is being held accountable for donating money to a proposition to bar a group of people from getting a right enjoyed by other Americans. Too bad. He donated the money and is being held accountable for being a bigot – his fault – no one else is to blame.
Sullivan is right that he had the right to donate money to whatever he wants. What he gets wrong is that I also have the right to not support a business because the leader of that business is supporting legislation that effects me negatively.
That is the way it works
DK
All the other comments properly eviscerate the internalized homophobia and pro-homophobe Stockholm Syndrome of House Gay #1 Andrew Sullivan so I’ll just add this:
Andrew Sullivan is full of crap.
/end