Starbucks’ support of gay marriage brews boycott

Chelsea Dennard
The Signal
Starbucks is stirring up more than just coffee these days following the company’s recent announcement to support a bill to legalize gay marriage in the coffee chain’s home state of Washington.

“Starbucks is proud to join other leading Northwest employers in support of Washington State legislation recognizing marriage equality for same-sex couples,” said Kalen Holmes, Starbucks vice president and University of Houston alumna, in the official Starbucks statement that was released Jan. 24. “This important legislation is aligned with Starbucks’ business practices and upholds our belief in the equal treatment of partners. It is core to who we are and what we value as a company.”

Pastor Steven Andrew, president of USA Christian Ministries, gained national attention after urging Christians to boycott the Seattle-based coffee chain for “turning against God” with its support of same-sex marriage. Andrew’s hope is for Starbucks to lose 80 percent of its customers from the boycott because 80 percent of the country believes the Christian faith.

USA Christian Ministries consists of a website with a Facebook page and Twitter account. As of Feb. 16 there were a total of 37 participants on the Facebook page. The address posted in order to support the ministry with money, stocks or wills is a mailbox rented from a UPS store in San Jose, Calif.

“Starbucks was the first company I heard about promoting homosexual sin in Washington,” Andrew said. “Christians are thanking me. Pastors are telling me that they are joining the boycott. One church is having its 5,000 members boycott Starbucks.”

Senate Bill 6239/House Bill 2516 states that it will provide “equal protection for all families in Washington by creating equality in civil marriage and [change] the domestic partnership laws, while protecting religious freedom.” The bill was passed with a 28-21 vote in the state Senate Feb. 1 after an hour-and-a-half long debate.

Exactly one week after being passed in the state Senate, the bill was passed in Washington state’s House of Representatives with a vote of 55-43 Feb. 8.

“I think that the legislation of same-sex marriage is the government finally recognizing a subjugated minority,” said Nathan White, former events coordinator for the Gay-Straight Alliance at San Jacinto Community College-Central Campus in Pasadena. “Until [the gay community has] the same rights and privileges as every other individual, it’s truly discrimination. I’m glad state governments are slowly realizing that separate but equal is not equal. It’s something we should’ve learned in the 1960s but has been overlooked in regard to the LGBT community. It is the duty of the government to protect the rights of the minority even against the will of the majority.”

Washington Governor Chris Gregoire signed the bill into law Feb. 13.

“It shows that time and time again, the public’s understanding of marriage equality and the country’s acceptance of it seems to be shifting in a positive direction,” said Karina Shagren, the governor’s spokeswoman, in an official statement.

Opponents of the bill are threatening a challenge with a referendum that will need more than 200,000 signatures submitted by June 6 in order to appeal the law.

“We are disappointed that the legislation did this in Washington,” said Ed Vitagliano, spokesman for the American Family Association, a non-profit organizationt that believes a culture based on biblical truth best serves the well-being of the country. Vitagliano said the legalization of same-sex marriage is the “deconstruction of traditional marriage” and will eventually “open the door to polygamy.”

“Saying that people who drink Starbucks are ‘God haters,’ that is horrible,” said Alan Mansfield, president of the Unity Club at University of Houston-Clear Lake.  “That’s a huge market to insult and typically a more sophisticated one too; [the] consumers are typically more educated, white-collar professionals that will see right through the pastor’s ignorance and bigotry.  Starbucks is a true advocate of the LGBT community.  They’re one of the few companies that offer such employees full and equal benefits to spouses of same-sex partners.  I don’t like coffee, but I go as often as possible to Starbucks for other products and gift cards for friends/family because by supporting them, I’m supporting equality.”

Andrew says he has received a very favorable response from his calling of the Starbucks boycott.

“I am happy with the results so far,” Andrew said. “I believe that George Washington, John Adams and Abraham Lincoln would also approve. Our Founding Fathers made the Christian laws that Starbucks and others want to ‘change’ into non-Christian laws. George Washington made the law to court martial homosexuals in the military so God would bless the military; as history shows God did. No American should support Starbucks or any other anti-God and anti-American company.”

At close of business Jan. 23, the day before the official statement from Starbucks was released, Starbucks’ stock was at $47.34. At close of business Feb. 16, Starbucks’ stock was at $48.52.

Starbucks joins the list of other powerhouse brands, such as Nike, Microsoft and Amazon.com (all also headquartered out of the Pacific Northwest), that support the legalization of gay marriage in the state of Washington.