This perspective frames the issue too narrowly, though. Eich did not donate to Prop 8 because he hated his gay employees or whatever. He donated because of hi

This perspective frames the issue too narrowly, though. Eich did not donate to Prop 8 because he hated his gay employees or whatever. He donated because of his beliefs on marriage. Marriage holds a important place in our society, and for good reason---we're animals that reproduce and live in families, not atomized immortal legal entities. If you believe there is something special about the relationship between a man and a woman specifically---and this doesn't seem like a very outlandish idea---then marking that relationship out, giving it a unique name, seems appropriate. It was not about "limiting the marriage rights of his employees" so much as giving a definition of what the term "marriage rights" even means. This conversation requires a lot of trust and empathy on both sides and is very likely to go wrong, which is why Eich didn't go rubbing his employees' noses in it. Once someone views something as their right, it becomes a very sensitive thing to suggest that, uh, maybe it's not. And remember that this isn't about "You can't tell me who to love" (could anyone stop you?) but "you can't deny X legal status to my relationship." Yeesh. I still don't want to touch this with a ten-foot pole.