Mozilla co-founder/CEO Brendan Eich has resigned after he came under fire for donating to a campaign to ban gay marriage in California, ABC News reported.
The appointment of Proposition 8 supporter Brendan Eich as CEO of Mozilla ( the company that makes the world's second-most popular Internet desktop browser, Firefox ) provoked dissent within the company's ranks and on its board of directors—and the larger tech world responded as well, according to a Forbes article.
Then, in a statement on the Mozilla website, Executive Chairwoman Mitchell Baker said April 3, "Mozilla prides itself on being held to a different standard and, this past week, we didn't live up to it. We know why people are hurt and angry, and they are right: it's because we haven't stayed true to ourselves.
"Brendan Eich has chosen to step down from his role as CEO. He's made this decision for Mozilla and our community. Mozilla believes both in equality and freedom of speech. Equality is necessary for meaningful speech. And you need free speech to fight for equality. Figuring out how to stand for both at the same time can be hard."
Baker added that the future leadership of the company is being discussed.
The dating site OK Cupid was among those companies that fired back after Eich's appointment. Users of the site who access it through Mozilla's Firefox browser have started receiving a message asking them not to use software made by a company whose CEO has donated money to outlaw same-sex marriage in California.
OKCupid ended its boycott April 2 after "consultation with Mozilla and understanding their commitment to take affirmative action," a spokesman told ABCNews.com .
In addition, some Mozilla employees publicly called for Eich to step down, and three of the company's six directors—Gary Kovacs, John Lilly and Ellen Siminoff—left the board in protest.
Eich ( the inventor of JavaScript ) actually co-founded Mozilla, but made headlines when it was reported he had donated $1,000 to support California's anti-gay Prop 8 in 2008, according to The New Civil Rights Movement.
Other companies have taken action against Mozilla. Communications firm FitzGibbon Media—which represents many progressive groups, including MoveOn.org, CREDO, NARAL Pro-Choice America, American Federation of Teachers, Color of Change and Thoughworks—posted a message on its website urging Firefox users to drop the Web browser.
In addition, married gay couple Hampton and Michael Catlin, the co-founders of the software manufacturer Rarebit, have published a notice on their company's website announcing a boycott of Firefox, including removing their apps from Firefox's marketplace. Hampton told MSNBC that the boycott was still in effect, but that they're no longer calling for Eich to step down, saying a simple apology would suffice.
"We thought that last week Mozilla would immediately come out with a statement of support of equality and Brendan would issue an apology," Hampton Catlin of Rarebit emailed CNET after hearing of Eich's resignation. "Unfortunately, this has become a far larger issue and I'm not sure there is a solution that would please everyone."
