Starbucks Will 'Pay' For Gay Marriage Support: NOM Pledge

[garbon]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/11/starbucks-gay-marriage-support-nom-condemns_n_2113930.html

Starbucks' support of same-sex marriage in Washington state was praised by a number of prominent rights activists. But the Seattle-based coffee chain's outspoken opponents seem determined to have the last word.

The Colorado Independent reports that officials from the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) have vowed to make Starbucks (along with other companies that support same-sex marriage) pay a "price" in Middle Eastern countries that are hostile to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights. The statements were made during a Nov. 8 conference call, scheduled as a discussion of the 2012 elections which saw sweeping marriage equality victories in Maine, Maryland and Minnesota, as well as Starbucks' home state of Washington.

"So for example, in Qatar, in the Middle East, we've begun working to make sure that there's some price to be paid for this," Brian Brown says in audio recording of the conference call, which can heard on the Independent's website. "These are not countries that look kindly on same-sex marriage. And this is where Starbucks wants to expand, as well as India. So we have done some of this; we've got to do a lot more."

The audio of the call does not continue on the site, but Brown is also quoted as saying:

"It takes money to go up against someone like Starbucks. I mean, we've got 50,000 people who've said, 'We're no longer going to purchase Starbucks products,' but that's the tip of the iceberg. Has it had some effect? I think so, but it's nowhere near enough. An example has to be made of some of these companies if we're going to get this sort of tidal wave of support for same-sex marriage to stop."

It isn't the first time NOM and other LGBT rights opponents have come up against the coffee chain. Shortly after Starbucks first declared its support for same-sex marriage during Washington state's marriage equality push in January, Brown announced what he called the "Dump Starbucks" campaign.

"We will not tolerate an international company attempting to force its misguided values on citizens," Brown was quoted by The Miami Herald as saying at the time. "The majority of Americans and virtually every consumer in some countries in which Starbucks operates believe that marriage is between one man and one woman. They will not be pleased to learn that their money is being used to advance gay marriage in society."

[CountDeMoney]

So, the National Organization for Marriage is going to work with Islamic fundamentalists in the Middle East to make Starbucks "pay" for this?

I certainly hope the NOM will have the opportunity to explain to the Federal Bureau of Investigation what precisely they have in mind.

[Scipio]

But, Starbucks is full of noms!  I cry foul!

[merithyn]

"We will not tolerate an international company attempting to force its misguided values on citizens," Brown was quoted by The Miami Herald as saying at the time. "The majority of Americans and virtually every consumer in some countries in which Starbucks operates believe that marriage is between one man and one woman. They will not be pleased to learn that their money is being used to advance gay marriage in society."

Do they not realize that no one is forcing them to marry someone of the same gender? That, in reality, this will have zero impact on them whatsoever? This isn't about what is being "forced" onto them, but rather what is being forced on a large portion of the population by denying them the same rights as everyone else.

This thinking just confuses and astounds me.

[Grey Fox]

That's because you don't come from the thinking that being gay is totally unacceptable.

[Richard Hakluyt]

Starbucks is currently under fire here too, for not paying any corporation tax :

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/nov/13/amazon-google-starbucks-tax-avoidance

What to do?

I suppose one could get a coffee there to show support against the NOM dudes and then avoid paying 

.........maybe not.

[Valmy]

The majority of Americans and virtually every consumer in some countries in which Starbucks operates believe that marriage is between one man and one woman. They will not be pleased to learn that their money is being used to advance gay marriage in society.

Unfortunately for Brown polls from later this year show he was mistaken and the election results back it up.  The majority of Americans appear to be in favor of Gay Marriage now.

[Valmy]

Do they not realize that no one is forcing them to marry someone of the same gender?

The misguided value here is that gay people are not social deviants.  If the State recognizes them as legitimate then that is forcing us all to feel the same way.

If you read this longwinded letter here: http://languish.org/forums/index.php/topic,8701.msg498965.html#msg498965 with regard to gays you can get a glimpse at the fears of this particular brand of Social Conservative.

[merithyn]

The misguided value here is that gay people are not social deviants.  If the State recognizes them as legitimate then that is forcing us all to feel the same way.

If you read this longwinded letter here: http://languish.org/forums/index.php/topic,8701.msg498965.html#msg498965 with regard to gays you can get a glimpse at the fears of this particular brand of Social Conservative.

Will it make me angry to read it? 'Cause if it will, I don't wanna'.

Oh. I've already read that. Yeah, made me mad.

[Ed Anger]

Meanwhile, Applebee's and Papa johns are in the fagballs' sights.

[merithyn]

Meanwhile, Applebee's and Papa johns are in the fagballs' sights.

I've already put them on my "boycott" list.

[Grey Fox]

The misguided value here is that gay people are not social deviants.  If the State recognizes them as legitimate then that is forcing us all to feel the same way.

If you read this longwinded letter here: http://languish.org/forums/index.php/topic,8701.msg498965.html#msg498965 with regard to gays you can get a glimpse at the fears of this particular brand of Social Conservative.

Will it make me angry to read it? 'Cause if it will, I don't wanna'.

Oh. I've already read that. Yeah, made me mad.

The part about Homosexuality had one situation would be advantageous to everyone, even none-gays.

[...]and there are hardly any evangelical teachers in public schools any more.

[Ed Anger]

Meanwhile, Applebee's and Papa johns are in the fagballs' sights.

I've already put them on my "boycott" list.

Your taste buds thank you.

[merithyn]

Meanwhile, Applebee's and Papa johns are in the fagballs' sights.

I've already put them on my "boycott" list.

Your taste buds thank you.

I didn't say it was hard to strike them. Only that I did so.

[DGuller]

Meanwhile, Applebee's and Papa johns are in the fagballs' sights.

I've already put them on my "boycott" list.

Same here, and I didn't even know about their gay marriage stance.