Apple is among a handful of companies that have signed a friend of the court brief in a case of a Colorado baker who refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. TechCrunch reports Apple, Yelp, Affirm, PayPal, and Salesforce have all signed on in support of the couple…
The report explains that these companies are just the beginning, however, and more will voice their support by next week. Though, it’s also important to note that this case is a bit more controversial than the LGBTQ-friendly ones that tech companies generally support:
Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission is a tinder box of particularly volatile social issues, particularly when it comes to interpreting the religious rights secured by the First Amendment. That could be a reason tech companies have been a bit warier in this instance.
Apple has routinely voiced its opinion in LGBTQ cases in the past. Two years ago, the company put its weight behind LGBTQ anti-discrimination legislation, saying:
At Apple we believe in equal treatment for everyone, regardless of where they come from, what they look like, how they worship or who they love. We fully support the expansion of legal protections as a matter of basic human dignity.
Tim Cook and Apple have also routinely celebrated Pride initiatives, with Cook himself taking part. Furthermore, Apple has called out controversial legislation several times, while Tim Cook has been honored for his efforts pertaining to such social issues. Just a few months ago, Tim Cook and other tech leaders called on President Trump to allow transgendered persons to serve in the military.
The amicus brief signed by Apple, Yelp, Affirm, PayPal, and Salesforce is being distributed by the Human Rights Campaign and was authored by D.C. law firm Steptoe & Johnson.
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