@yomiel >Package maintainers are not the guys who host the repo's
Some package maintainers are the same guys who host the repos and both the hosts and packagers maintainers get to decide what goes into the repos.

>the guys who host the repo's aren't necessarily the guys who code Gentoo
Assuming that is the case, they are still making a recommendation, as they are choosing to hosting such ebuild's (rather than choosing not to host them).

>That doesn't mean everyone in the chain does.
Everyone in the chain that doesn't decline to support or host the proprietary ebuild's gives approval to the ebuild's.

>Saying a Distro encourages a piece of software to me means prepackaging it or advertising it
An ebuild is indeed pre-packaged and is indeed an advertisement.