OkCupid says don’t use Firefox after homophobic chairman installed
Dating website OkCupid has generated a wave of approval from social media users after they inserted a page which asked people not to use Firefox.
The creators of Firefox, Mozilla, have recently installed a new CEO who had given a $1,000 donation to California’s Proposition 8 campaign, which sought to institute a state-wide ban on equal marriage. Brendan Eich made the donation in 2008, and has never attempted to justify or defend his decision. A report in the Wall Street Journal on Friday said that three Mozilla board members ‘resigned over the choice’ of Eich as the new CEO, although the company said the two events were unrelated, and that their resignation just after their new boss was given his job was entirely coincidental.
A statement on the first page that Firefox users see on loading OkCupid urges users to consider another browser. ‘We’ve devoted the last ten years to bringing people – all people – together,’ it says. ‘If individuals like Mr Eich had their way, then roughly 8% of the relationships we’ve worked so hard to bring about would be illegal.
‘OkCupid is for creating love. Those who seek to deny love and instead enforce misery, shame, and frustration are our enemies, and we wish them nothing but failure.’
The message went on to offer a list of alternative browsers, underneath which was an option to continue to the site using Firefox.
Twitter user @JasperDan4 said, ‘I really like this. Lovely move, OKC,’ while @FrankBainbridge said it was ‘great to see a company standing up for #EqualMarriage.’
On Facebook, where OkCupid does not allow people to post messages directly to their page, reaction was more mixed. While Kas Crayon Lewis said, ‘Thank you Okcuppid (sic) turning around and standing up against antigay. Love is Love,’ Matt Spencer commented, ‘So OKcupid is now forcing tolerance on it’s (sic) users. How about you be tolerant to those who choose not to support the gay and lesbian choice. OKcupid has one less user today. This guy.’
But with his short comment, Timothy W stole the show with: ‘Matt and I met on OKCupid.’
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