Tech companies blast Trump for transgender rights reversal
Silicon Valley and the administration of President Donald Trump have played a kind of "will they won't they" game since the new president took office in the middle of last month.
Some have openly courted a relationship with Trump, such as Peter Thiel, a cofounder of surveillance-happy Palantir and of PayPal. Others, such as Uber CEO Travis Kalanick, initially courted Trump only to back out of a formal relationship after a growing tide of customers shouted at him (and boycotted) the company. Plenty of tech CEOs also showed up to meet the Trump administration in Trump Tower before Trump became president.
But many of these tech companies are increasingly falling under the "won't they" category, and the tech world has continued to distance itself from the White House after the Trump administration eliminated protections for transgender students that allowed them to use public school bathrooms that conformed to their gender identity.
Uber crafted a statement that said the company would "continue to speak out against discriminatory actions and in favor of good policy that champions equality and inclusion for all." Lyft, speaking with CNN, said "removing protections for transgender students is wrong." Apple released a statement saying "everyone deserves a chance to thrive in an environment free from stigma and discrimination." Google said the rights reversal had them "deeply concerned." Pinterest said it is against "the decision to weaken protections for transgender students." Some, such as Tumblr and Microsoft President Brad Smith, responded on Twitter.
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Many Silicon Valley powerhouses also vehemently disapproved of a White House executive order in late January to ban immigrants and travelers from Sudan, Somalia, Libya, Iraq, Iran, Syria and Yemen, a move found unconstitutional by judges in multiple districts.
If there is a fault line between the White House and the world of technology, it appears to be along human rights.
Colin is Mashable's US & World Reporter. He previously interned at Foreign Policy magazine and The American Prospect. Colin is a graduate from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. When he's not at Mashable, you can most likely find him eating or playing some kind of sport.
