But Eich dared to hold a view that went against the Church of Liberal Progressivism. A heretic heading Mozilla? Unthinkable.
A big part of any CEO's job is to be a public representative, and such a representative should not air controversial public views that have nothing to do with his job.
What he believes in private, and shares with his friends and family is his own business. What appears in news stories is not his own private business, and needs to be managed.
Not that I agree at all with the withholding of rights on the basis of sexuality etc, and am particularly disappointed and confused when intelligent people hold such retrograde views. But I don't think it would have precluded him from being an effective leader until third parties, likely with ulterior motives, launched media campaigns about it.