Jonathan Rauch is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and the author of "Kindly Inquisitors: The New Attacks on Free Thought" and "Gay Marriage: Why It Is Good for Gays, Good for Straights, and Good for America."

The online campaign that led to Brendan Eich's resignation was intolerant and obnoxious. Also, stupid. But please don't blame the gay community. Blame the people who did it and who do not represent or resemble mainstream gay America.

Two things are clear. One, a company is within its rights to dismiss a top executive who does not reflect its values or priorities. Two, activists are within their rights to criticize positions held by corporate executives. So what went wrong in the Mozilla/Eich case? A handful of hotheads forgot what the gay rights movement is fighting for: the embrace of diversity and the freedom for all Americans, gay and straight, to live publicly as who they truly are.

Both supporters and opponents of gay rights need to be able to speak freely without being punished for their beliefs.

This is why the mainstream gay rights leadership supports free speech. L.G.B.T. people win when both we and our opponents can speak out. It is why most ordinary gay Americans want nothing to do with efforts to silence our adversaries. It is why Andrew Sullivan, a pioneer of the gay-marriage movement, was quick to say, "If we are about intimidating the free speech of others, we are no better than the anti-gay bullies who came before us." That is where gay America's heart is, even if sometimes the hotheads are noisier.

Lest we forget, the campaign against Eich was not launched by gay rights groups. It was launched by an online dating company called OKCupid. Even OKCupid's leaders had no plan other than to "raise awareness." In other words, they were freelance activists engaging in moral grandstanding. Well intentioned? Maybe. Dumb? Assuredly. (Should we boycott every company whose leadership does not support gay marriage? Did these guys think for even 10 seconds?) But, whatever else this may have been, it was hardly the work of the "gay community."

It's a big country and there are intolerant and intemperate people on all sides of every issue. This won't be the last time activists and publicity seekers call for the head of someone they don't like. When gay-marriage opponents claim that a new reign of terror is abroad in the land, however, please remember that the large majority of gay and lesbian Americans share with the large majority of conservatives and Christians a desire to live and let live, and it is those large majorities that will prevail in our majoritarian country.



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