Mozilla’s newly appointed CEO Brendan Eich resigned amid mounting public outrage over the fact that he supported the ban on same-sex marriage in California. His resignation, however, is hardly a breakthrough in the marriage equality movement. It is rather a poignant reminder of our society’s lack of tolerance for diversity of opinion, which directly contradicts the ideals that liberals hold for American society.

Our society is moving toward a general support for marriage equality, but it should not force its members to acquiesce to this trend. Andrew Sullivan, a prominent blogger, notes that despite Eich’s unpopular view, society is never justified in bullying him into giving up what may well be his sincere conviction. Every individual has the basic right to his or her personal opinions and society should respect that. Proponents of the marriage equality movement should understand that threatening their opponents to coerce them into renouncing their view will make it harder for them to justify the LGBTQ cause.

Eich’s resignation is rooted in his support for the 2008 California Proposition 8, a state constitutional amendment that infringed on LGBTQ members’ right to marry. Yet, the recent outcry against Eich is not so much about progress in marriage equality as it is about online lynching. William Saletan, a writer for Slate Magazine, questioned the rationale behind removing Eich. Through a list prepared by the Los Angeles Times, Saletan found that many other donors who work for major American companies — including Apple and Google — donated to the Proposition 8 campaign. If Eich is unfit for his job, so are the rest on the list. Saletan correctly pointed out that if the critics are serious about enforcing the new standard, all other donors must be punished.

Mozilla should not have given into the online witch hunt by allowing Eich to leave. His departure will not remedy the situation, but will undermine the values Mozilla upholds. Mitchell Baker, a chairperson of Mozilla, stated that her organization prizes diversity and inclusiveness and welcomes contributions from everyone, regardless of personal beliefs or ideas. To maintain this corporate identity, it may have seemed necessary for Eich to resign. Yet, his resignation demonstrates that hoarding a non-mainstream belief might actually cost someone his or her job. This incident will impede open discussions about gay rights — a chilling reminder that individuals should not express true convictions in public lest they become the subject of public humiliation and social exclusion.

The implications of this episode are grim. What is the point of achieving marriage equality in the first place if it is done through the use of coercion? This incident is not liberalism, but tyranny of the masses that has gone out of control.

Kenny Kyunghoon Lee is a contributing columnist. Email him at [email protected].