Starbucks Pisses Off The Religious Right

Religious activists have been busy at work boycotting Starbucks Corporation because of its progressive attitude towards diversity. Starbucks sponsors gay pride events in many cities, and proudly embraces its gay employees.
The Christian Examiner accuses Starbucks of "promoting the homosexual agenda" with quotes printed on coffee cups. (On a side note, what exactly is this 'homosexual agenda', and why haven't I received a copy of it?)

If you have been to Starbucks recently, you may have noticed different quotes printed on the side of your coffee cup.
One of these quotes, by Armistead Maupin has "sparked a firestorm of controversy" (in the cliché saturated parlance of our media moguls.)

The quote reads: "My only regret about being gay is that I repressed it for so long. I surrendered my youth to the people I feared when I could have been out there loving someone. Don't make that mistake yourself. Life's too damn short."

Baylor University actually went as far as to have 500 cups with the Maupin quote removed from the store.
Linda Ricks, Marketing Program Manager of Baylor Dining Services, said Baylor Dining Services agreed to get rid of the cups out of respect for "Baylor culture.""There are different view points on the Baylor campus, We pulled the cup to be sensitive to view points."

Ricks said Starbucks's headquarters supported the cup removal.

Beneath each quote is printed a cautious disclaimer: "Please note: The opinions put forth by contributors to “The Way I See It” do not necessarily reflect the views of Starbucks." The disclaimer has done little to shield the coffee giant from attacks by right-wing activist groups. Concerned Women For America, a Christian women's organization, which promotes itself as being the antithesis of the National Organization For Women complained that most of the quotes on the cups are liberal.

The group believes that the coffee chain has a responsibility to reflect the diversity of its customers by using a balanced approach in ad campaigns-- or by staying away from socially controversial topics completely.

Maureen Richardson, state director of Concerned Women for America of Washington, stated:
"Corporations have deeper pockets and therefore more influence than individuals do,"
"I think it's wiser for them to stay out of these issues so that they don't offend conservatives and people of faith."
To these companies, she says: "If you want my money, support some of my causes."

"The Way I See It" campaign does not set out to take a political stand but rather to encourage discourse, said Starbucks Spokesperson Audrey Lincoff.
"If you think back to the history of the old coffee houses, before the Internet, these were places to converse," she said. "That's part of what the coffee culture has been for a century or more."

Starbucks doesn't categorize the quotes printed on the cups as liberal or conservative; but rather as a diverse group of intellectuals, artists, musicians, educators and athletes.

"Embracing diversity and treating people with dignity is one of the guiding principles of our corporation," Lincoff said.

Starbucks will not be removing the Maupin quote, or any others from its "The Way I See It Promotion".

starbucks; gay; politics; maupin