Microsoft
In 2005, the Seattle weekly newspaper The Stranger reported that Hutcherson persuaded Microsoft to withdraw support for the Washington anti-discrimination bill that would have made it illegal to fire an employee due to their sexual orientation. Hutcherson had reportedly told the Microsoft general counsel that 700 evangelical Microsoft employees attend his church, and all of them opposed the bill. He added that if Microsoft did not withdraw support of the bill, he would organize a national boycott of the software maker. Sometime after the meeting Microsoft changed its long held position on the issue from support to neutral stating that anti-discrimination was not a priority for that legislative session.
A few weeks later, after furious protests from Microsoft employees and advocacy by GLEAM, Microsoft’s gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employee resource group, the company reversed itself and pledged to support future anti-discrimination legislation.
The Anderson Murray Civil Rights Bill was passed in the Washington State House on January 20, 2006, in the Senate on January 27, 2006, and signed into law by Governor Christine Gregoire on January 31, 2006. When the bill was passed, Hutcherson again called for a boycott, but no such organized effort emerged.
On January 25, 2006, Hutcherson called for supporters to take action against Microsoft for reinstating its support of the Washington State Anti-Discrimination bill by driving down the company’s stock price. Hutcherson asked that supporters purchase one or two Microsoft shares over the following months with the goal of selling them on May 1, 2006. Market experts stated that the “buy-and-dump” plan had no realistic chance of affecting Microsoft stock while legal scholars warned that the plan could be considered illegal market manipulation. Microsoft maintained its support of the bill and on May 1, 2006 Microsoft shares closed up 14 cents on the previous day’s close.
On November 13, 2007, Hutcherson addressed the Microsoft Annual Stockholders meeting. During the question and answer session he referred to previous discussions with Microsoft executives regarding their support for anti-discrimination legislation in Washington State and threatened further action against the company without clearly specifying the policy position or activity he hopes to change. Hutcherson stated "I could work with you, or I could be your worst nightmare, because I am a black man with a righteous cause, with a host of powerful white people behind me...".
After Hutcherson's comments, one attendee asked what shareholders could do to help the company to oppose Hutcherson. Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith responded, "As a company, we've had a clear policy with respect to the way we treat our people, and we believe in that policy. It's a policy that's founded on non-discrimination, it's a policy that we believe has served our employees well, it's served our shareholders well, and I think that was reflected last year when all of our shareholders were asked to vote on that policy, and over 97 percent of you and all of our other shareholders stood up and agreed with us. And I think that it is precisely in that form that shareholders have the opportunity to continue to make their views known, and we very much appreciate that support".
On November 16, 2007, an interview appeared in The Daily Telegraph, a UK newspaper, where Hutcherson described his plan to ask millions of evangelical activists, Orthodox religious and other allies, to purchase Microsoft shares and demand a return to 'traditional values'. He described Microsoft as just the first company to be targeted in a larger campaign which will attempt to force American corporations to support only biblically-based social policy positions. In the article Hutcherson alleged "There are 256 Fortune 500 companies alone pouring millions upon millions of dollars into pushing the homosexual agenda..." but he has yet to provide any evidence for his claims.
However, in accordance with a May 6, 2005 e-mail where Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer laid out guidelines and restrictions for future public policy engagement, the company has expressed no position on same-sex marriage, civil unions, or domestic partnership legislation at the Washington State or Federal levels.
In a January 12, 2008 radio interview on Sirius OutQ with Michelangelo Signorile, Hutcherson once again claimed that Microsoft was advocating in support of same-sex marriage.
On January 8, 2008, Hutcherson announced details of his "Buy Three, Donate One" campaign which asked supporters to purchase three shares of Microsoft stock, donate one share to the "AGN Financial Network," and prepare to vote on a Shareholder Proposal that would be presented at the next Microsoft Stockholders Annual meeting in November 2008.
Read more about this topic: Ken Hutcherson, Gay Rights Opposition, Gay Anti-discrimination Legislation