Flap's Blog – FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog

And, we have an answer via M/M.

Proposition 8 attracted tens of millions of dollars on both sides of the gay marriage issue from out-of-state contributors who see California as a trendsetter for the rest of the nation.

According to figures from the California Secretary of State’s Office — which requires campaign donors to list their place of residence, their employer and their occupations — more than 750 Texans donated tens of thousands of dollars on either side of the campaign. One of the biggest Texas donations was $50,000 to a Yes on 8 group that apparently came from the president of a Midland oil company.

About 115 Austinites gave about $180,000 — most in increments of $100 — to fund both sides of the campaign. About 20 of the Austin contributors supported the gay marriage ban; the rest opposed it. Computer giant Apple Inc. is listed as the biggest donor from Austin, with a $100,000 donation in opposition to the measure.

Some gay rights activists say any business that supported Proposition 8 should be boycotted.

“We strongly believe that one of the best ways for the gay community to be heard is by speaking with our wallets,” said Austin resident Warren Clark, whose warrenandderrick.com Web site published the “blacklist” of Yes on 8 donors.

“Blacklisted” by the gay rights Web site are Austin attorneys and tech companies, investment fund managers and doctors, real estate developers and even the Los Angeles Dodgers. Former Dodgers infielder and Austin resident Jeff Kent gave $15,000 to the Yes on 8 campaign.

“It’s a shame,” said Austin real estate developer Michael Knepp when a reporter told him he was on the list for his $10,000 donation to the Yes on 8 campaign.

“Everyone has a responsibility to support the issues they feel strongly about,” Knepp said. “If someone else was offended by that, I apologize, but we just feel very strongly about how (gay marriage) could affect our society – so we made a donation.”

For Austin attorney Roger Hepworth, who gave about $10,000 to the Yes on 8 campaign, the backlash first came in the form of what he called a “hateful” e-mail to him and other employees of his firm, Henslee Schwartz.

“It started with ‘Shame on you Roger Hepworth’ and got worse from there,” he said.

The firm also is on the “anti-gay blacklist” created by Clark.

“I think irresponsible for them to smear an entire law firm that had no knowledge of any donation I made,” Hepworth said. “It’s unfair to target a company for something a person has done.”

No. 1 on the group’s anti-gay “blacklist” — errantly enough — is Dell Computer Inc. That’s because the biggest Austin-area donor to the Yes on 8 campaign was apparently Spencer Wheelright, a Dell marketing employee who gave $25,200 to support the gay marriage ban, according to records from the California Secretary of State’s office.

Dell had nothing to do with the donation and, in fact, the company has an internal rule prohibiting it from taking a position or making a donation regarding any state or local ballot initiatives, said company spokesman Bryant Hilton.

Dell usually gets good marks from gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender groups. It is a supporter of the gay rights group Human Rights Campaign as well as other national and local gay organizations.

“This was an employee who made a personal donation and employers are listed because of California’s reporting laws,” Hilton said. “But this doesn’t reflect the company’s position at all.”

Wheelright did not return a reporter’s e-mail seeking comment. He couldn’t be reached otherwise.

Exit Question:

As the gay marriage boycott continues will homosexual activists whose Human Rights Campaign receives hundred of thousands of dollars in corporate contributions to buy their goodwill (and who, by the way, contributed to the No on Proposition 8 campaign) insist that corporations and companies terminate (FIRE) those managers/officers/employees? Or face their continued WRATH?

Is the gay, the new Thought Police of NEWSPEAK?