Return-Path: noglstp-request@elroy.Jpl.Nasa.Gov Message-ID: <" 3-Dec-92 8:43:23 PST".*.Nancy_E._McConn.OSBU_South@Xerox.com> This came across on the bulletin boards this week. Thought you would be interested. From: ZALLER1@AppleLink.Apple.COM (Zaller, Brad) Subject: Lambda Bulletin: Quark To: LAMBDA$@AppleLink.Apple.COM (Apple Lambda-Gay & Lesbian Group) Cc: D1589@AppleLink.Apple.COM (Quark, Micheal Valentine Smith,PRT) Resent-From: BUCKM@AppleLink.Apple.COM Resent-To: MARTIN1@AppleLink.Apple.COM Resent-To: DGREEN@STI.COM, COYOTE@STI.COM, BA-SAPPHO@labrys.wpd.sgi.com, LOGOS@random.esd.sgi.com, KELSCH_NX@PROFSC.FSL.NOAA.GOV DA BULLETIN APPLE LAMBDA BULLETIN APPLE LAMBDA BULLETIN APPLE LAMBDA BULLETI 1 MESSAGE: Quark, Inc., opposes Measure 2 in Colorado ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo FROM: Tim Gill, Quark, Inc. (D1589) Greetings. My name is Tim Gill. I am the Chairman, Founder and Senior Vice President of Research and Development at Quark, Inc. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with Quark, we are a publisher of one of the leading page layout programs for Macintosh called QuarkXPress. We employ about 375 people worldwide and have headquarters based in Colorado where we employ about 280 people. Unfortunately, on November 3rd Colorado voters decided to revoke the rights of its gay, lesbian and bisexual citizens. Amendment 2 prohibits the enactment of any laws or ordinances protecting lesbians and gays and repeals all such laws and ordinances that are already in effect. There are many states where gays and lesbians don't have rights. Colorado is now the only state where they CAN'T have rights. Amendment 2 must go away. We must all use every reasonable means to achieve this end. For this reason, Quark has changed it's business practices to show that discrimination against ANYONE is wrong. Quark has always had a policy of non-discrimination based on sexual orientation. We also have a spousal rights policy which allows unmarried persons irrespective of gender to utilitize Quark's health insurance. Effective immediately, Quark is determining whether it's vendors have a written non-discrimination policy based on sexual orientation. Those vendors which do not have such a policy will receive no future business from Quark. A similar policy applies to all banks and other financial institutions. It is likely that much of our business will, therefore, leave Colorado. These policies changes have been reported in the Colorado press. Additionally, we have a twice yearly conference in the state which brings in 100-150 of the top publishing companies in the world. The next such conference is in Denver and Vail during the week of December 7-12. At that time our customers will vote on whether to move the conference out of state. I am confident that the conference will move. The press has already been informed that this vote will take place. They will be informed about the results. [Apple people will be attending. Please encourage them to vote properly.] Had the confernece been scheduled for January. I would have moved it. We are still determining what other measures Quark can reasonably take. I am open to suggestions. I'm sure you have all heard talk about a boycott of Colorado. Quark is taking no OFFICIAL position on the boycott. However, a company called XChange, with revenues of $5M with which we work closely, recently decided to cancel it's move to Colorado based on the passage of Amendment 2. I support their decision. Solving this problem requires a shared sacrifice. A simplistic estimate of the cost to Quark of our actions is $250,000/yr. It will probably go higher before this is over. It is not too much to pay for our rights. A legal challenge is underway, but it will get appealed all the way to the Supreme Court. That will take 4 to 6 years minimum. We can't wait that long. There are many different methods we must use to solve this problem. Education is certainly a part. Persuasion based on emotional appeals is certainly a part. I'm afraid, boycotts are also a part. Not everyone responds to the same thing. We must persuade as many people as possible. When you boycott, both friends and enemies are hurt. But no one is going to go out of business because of a boycott, but if we fail to show our power here, then we have no power. I have cancelled my reservations for Aspen Gay Ski Week. I have been an avid skiier for 25 years. I did this with great regret. I am terrified of what Colorado Family Values (CFV) (who sponsored Amendment 2) will say if we go. If I were their publicist, I would write something like "See, gays continue to come to Colorado. Amendment 2 is not anti-gay. They realize that they were asking for special rights." There are many variations on this that I can imagine. I don't want them to be able to write any of them. The religious right has targeted 6 states with amendments like Colorado's in the next year and many more the following year. We must be able to show those states that discrimination is wrong. We must be able to point to Colorado and say "Look what it did to Colorado. Do you want it to happen here?" This is not just a Colorado issue. It is a national issue. It is not just a gay issue, it is a human rights issue. If we let it start here, it will eventually invade the rights of other communities. I hope we can get Amendment 2 repealed. We need your help. We are fighting for the soul of our state. Please let Coloradoans understand that you will not tolerate discrimination. Don't spend your money here. BUT, when it's over and we have won, come back and say thank you. Retribution must be swift, but forgiveness must be equally swift. We must let Coloradoans know that gays and lesbians are part of their community, and if they accept us we can help make Colorado a truly great place to live. Regards, Tim Gill Chairman, Quark, Inc. DA BULLETIN APPLE LAMBDA BULLETIN APPLE LAMBDA BULLETIN APPLE LAMBDA BULLETI ----- End Forwarded Messages -----