This was a monumental week for LGBT communities across the US. With celebrations happening in almost every major city including Silicon Valley where many of the tech giants joined in on the celebration! Apple, Google, Facebook and HP just to name a few.Google released the following YouTube video:
An Apple spokesman told AllThingsD “Apple strongly supports marriage equality and we consider it a civil rights issue. We applaud the Supreme Court for its decisions today,” Google had a little fun with the search bar, in a typical Google Fashion! Visit Google and type in the word “gay”, “lesbian”, “transgender” or “bisexual” and you’ll find the following rainbow explosion around the search box.
This weekend is San Francisco Pride and as HP has done for many years, they will be participating: “Our sponsorship at San Francisco Pride this year is a great example of how HP is committed to diversity and to creating a flexible, inclusive environment for everyone inside and outside of the company.” said Michael Thacker, global communications chair, HP Pride Employee Resource Group. “HP has more than 30 years of partnership with and participation in pride events, and works throughout the year to build and strengthen HP as an organization that values all employees, customers and communities,” Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg had a heartfelt message on his Timeline “I’m proud that our country is moving in the right direction, and I’m happy for so many of my friends and their families. #PrideConnectsUs,” Although Facebook didn’t comment officially, earlier this week a Facebook spokesman point out that of the roughly 200 million U.S. Facebook users, 70% have a gay friends on the social network. AT&T put out this message on Twitter:
Hundreds of tech companies have supported LGBT equality for years. Twitter, Instagram, Cisco, Intel, Qualcomm among hundreds of other companies filed an amicus brief opposing the Defense of Marriage Act earlier this year. Tech companies are not the only ones who have shown support though, here is a look at 27 other companies that spoke up after the Supreme Court rulings were handed down. Huffington Post Article. Technology and especially social technology has continued to breakdown geographic barriers and feelings of isolation for LGBT communities. Allowing our communities to connect and support each other in ways individuals like Harvy Milk could have only dreamed of! Although DOMA and Prop 8 are history, we have a long way to go for full equality and we are proud to know we have some of the largest tech companies there to support us!