"Based on reading your comments for several years, I presume you are very much in favor of protecting employees from various kinds of discrimination(as you should!)."
I think it's pretty relevant that Thiel isn't an employee of YC. Saying that they would "fire" Thiel is a complete misnomer - he's a partner that does business with them. I think that's a very different kind of relationship.
I'm aware of that legally the distinction is relevant, but in the realm of public discourse, it isn't. YC could also e.g. cut ties with Thiel because he's gay, but of course HN would crucify them.
Sorry, I still disagree. As an alternate example, if I heard that a business partner had decided to stop doing business with another business partner because of disagreeing with their politics, that would play very differently in the press than a boss deciding to fire an employee for same.
He doesn't even "do business" with them! As Altman himself said: Thiel doesn't get YC equity. It's a marketing relationship. If it were an employment relationship, I would probably feel differently.
- If YC severed ties w/ Thiel, as people are recommending, should YC also divest itself of companies with founders who support Trump?
- Should YC-invested companies fire employees who support Trump?
- Imagine the shitstorm if a right-leaning YC founder fired an employee for working in the HRC or Stein campaign. The no-discrimination at any cost crowd is going to howl with rage the first time "their" person gets fired by "the other" camp, solely for political affiliation.
- Ok, we could pass some employment law: "firing employees over political beliefs is not OK, unless it's an existential threat". Who gets to decide what is an existential threat?
This is a very dangerous weapon, and your eagerness to use it now makes me think you haven't considered what will happen when it's used against your political tribe.