Monday, August 18, 2014

Facebook Financially Supports Anti-Marriage-Equality Candidate

After Utah's attorney general resigned—and was later arrested bribery charges—Utah Governor Gary Herbert appointed Sean Reyes, a Republican Party official, to serve out the AG's term. Reye’s time in office began just ten days after a federal court ruled that Utah’s ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional, so the first thing Reyes did was to begin his defense on inequality based on sexual orientation. He hired a private law firm to assist in his defense of the ban and vowed to spend $2 million in taxpayer money — can y’all afford that, Utah? — to do it.

He also petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to issue a "stay" halting the same-sex marriages in the state, and thus leaving in limbo the 1300 couples who had married legally in the state. Reyes then issued a statement saying the stay was needed because, with the recognition, and legality of same-sex marriage, there “is a likelihood — indeed, a certainty — of irreparable harm to the State."

Naturally, he did not say what that harm might look like because, well, liar. He then dismissed those 1300 couples and their legal marriages by calling them "interim marriages.”

Why all this talk about Reyes? Well, just last week Facebook — and ALLEGED LGBT ally — donated $10,000 to help Reyes win election and return as Attorney General of the state.

And when folks began questioning the donation, a spokesman for Facebook replied like this:
“Facebook has a strong record on LGBT issues and that will not change, but we make decisions about which candidates to support based on the entire portfolio of issues important to our business, not just one. A contribution to a candidate does not mean that we agree with every policy or position that candidate takes. We made this donation for the same reason we’ve donated to Attorneys General on the opposite side of this issue – because they are committed to fostering innovation and an open Internet.”
You cannot have a strong record on LGBT issues and then give money to a candidate who not only works against LGBT issues, but calls the legal marriages of 1300 couples “interim marriages” and treats them as though they don’t count, don’t matter.

You ought to be ashamed of yourself, Facebook, for saying you’re one thing and then proving your another through your actions and your campaign donations.

Funding a candidate who is aggressively working to deny equality to a community you say you support is the lowest of the low. You really need a ‘Hate’ button for that.

Go to Change.org to sign a petition asking Facebook to donate an equal amount to Reye’s opponent.
via NCRM

8 comments:

  1. mr. reyes looks like he enjoys a good trouser snake on the DL.

    ReplyDelete
  2. And this is why I haven't gone to the dark side. Now I don't feel bad about not having a FB page.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous4:02 AM

      Agreed M&M. I deleted my Facebook account once I became aware that a bigot runs Two-Face Book.

      Delete
  3. I don't get it. Facebook users probably skew much younger than the population as a while. I'm terrible at it.

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  4. This is such a thumbs-downer - one we could well have done without, thank you.

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  5. Politics would be cleaner if political parties and individuals within political parties were not allowed to take any donations. With the added bonus that you wouldn't have to suffer any political advertising!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous5:06 AM

    If you're GLBT and have a face book page, delete it. Zuckerberg, like Gates, stole much of his Social Networking ideas and threw his initial cohorts under the bus. He's a spoiled little rich boy who has no moral compass. He less and can't be trusted.

    ReplyDelete

Say anything, but keep it civil .......