This came across on the bulletin boards this week. Thought you would be interested.

From: [email-masked] (Zaller, Brad)
Subject: Lambda Bulletin: Quark
To: [email-masked] (Apple Lambda-Gay & Lesbian Group)
Cc: [email-masked] (Quark, Micheal Valentine Smith,PRT)
Resent-From: [email-masked]
Resent-To: [email-masked]
Resent-To: [email-masked], [email-masked], [email-masked],
        [email-masked], [email-masked]

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1 MESSAGE:    Quark, Inc., opposes Measure 2 in Colorado
 
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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.
 
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