Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg plans to host a fundraiser for New Jersey Governor Chris Christie at his Palo Alto home tomorrow, and Democracy for America has started a petition calling upon the young billionaire to “unfriend” Christie, on account of his opposition to same sex marriage. Also, Credo Action plans to stage a protest nearby Zuckerberg’s place because they’re pissed at Christie for taking a “lead in the Republican war on women” in his support for de-funding Planned Parenthood.
Here’s the full text of Democracy for America’s call to action:
Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder of Facebook, has made major strides in the past few years, turning the world’s largest social network into a more open and inclusive place for the LGBT community. Indeed, Zuckerberg, who married in 2012, has been an avid supporter of LGBT equality in the workplace for his employees at Facebook.
But, in New Jersey, tens of thousands of couples cannot share their love and be recognized because Governor Chris Christie vetoed the marriage equality bill passed by the Senate and Assembly. Currently, LGBT families across the state of New Jersey are second-class citizens denied the fundamental freedom to marry the person they love.
Yet, this week, Mark Zuckerberg is hosting a fundraiser at his Palo Alto home for his “friend,” Governor Christie. Zuckerberg should know that Gov. Christie is no friend to the LGBT community in New Jersey, and that because of his veto and his pressuring Republican colleagues in the legislature not to override, he is singlehandedly blocking New Jersey from having marriage equality.
So, we’re calling on Zuckerberg to do something to support all LGBT families by affirming his support for marriage equality in the state of New Jersey and as we’ve been saying on Twitter this week: #UnfriendChristie. By that, we mean:
He could cancel his fundraiser.
He could lobby Gov. Christie to change his mind.
He could reach into his pocket to give money to organizations fighting for marriage equality in New Jersey.But, he shouldn’t be silent, all the while supporting the reelection of the one man who stands in the way of marriage equality becoming a reality in New Jersey.