Microsoft took a rare socially-oriented political stand on Thursday with a statement endorsing Washington state legislation that would clear same-sex marriage. The Windows developer was joining a handful of other companies in the state, including Nike and RealNetworks, in saying Senate Bill 6239 and HB 2516 would be positive for the state as a whole. General Counsel Brad Smith argued that Microsoft needed a "workforce that is as diverse as our customers" and that the company would be at a disadvantage if it excluded same-sex couples that wanted to marry.
