SAN FRANCISCO — Apple Inc. said Friday that it was donating $100,000 to fight the proposed ban on same-sex marriages in California, taking a rare political stand that may win over some customers and irk others.
The computer and gadget maker joined such companies as Google Inc., Qualcomm Inc. and Pacific Gas & Electric Co. in declaring opposition to Proposition 8, which would define marriage as only between a man and woman.
"We strongly believe that a person's fundamental rights -- including the right to marry -- should not be affected by their sexual orientation," Apple said.
Wading into a social issue with a six-figure donation is unusual and risky for a company that sells goods primarily to consumers, according to marketing and corporate governance experts. Although Apple has long pitched itself as a counterculture brand, products such as the iPod and iPhone have brought it into the mainstream.
James Klein, a designer and writer in Newport Beach who uses many Apple products, cheered the company's stance. "It makes me feel so much better about the company I purchase from," he said.
But Apple's decision could drive away some potential customers who disapprove of same-sex marriage, said Peter Sealey, adjunct professor of marketing at the Peter Drucker Graduate School of Management at Claremont Graduate University and former head of marketing at Coca-Cola. Sealey said he personally opposes Proposition 8 but thinks Apple's decision was "wrongheaded."
"It will hurt shareholders of Apple," he said. "People will not buy a Mac because of this decision."
In a statement, the Cupertino, Calif., company said it saw same-sex marriage as a "civil rights issue" for its employees, not just a political one. Apple noted that it had been one of the first California companies to offer equal rights and benefits to its workers' same-sex partners.
So far, the largest big-name corporate donor to the No on 8 campaign appears to be PG&E, which gave $250,000 in July. Qualcomm, a San Diego-based maker of wireless chips, this month gave $5,000.
Google declared its opposition to Proposition 8 in September but has not given a corporate donation to fight the measure. Founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin recently gave $40,000 and $100,000, respectively, to the No on 8 campaign.
"It is extraordinarily rare for companies to do that," said Steve Smith, a campaign consultant for No on 8. "It's a bold step on their part. We've seen companies with strong anti-discrimination workplaces jump into this."
