This bullshit really needs to stop

[Max]

Ugh

Starbucks says it was hoping to inspire old-fashioned coffee-house conversations when it introduced a campaign this year featuring the words of notable Americans on its coffee cups.

But at least a few of those words are sparking more discord than discussion.

A national Christian women's organization is accusing the Seattle-based coffee maker of promoting a homosexual agenda because of a quote by author Armistead Maupin, whose "Tales of the City" chronicled San Francisco's homosexual community in the 1970s and 1980s.

Maupin's quote — one of several dozen in "The Way I See It" promotion — says his only regret about being gay is that he 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."

Concerned Women for America, which promotes itself as the antithesis of the National Organization for Women and boasts 8,700 supporters in Washington, says most of those quoted on the coffee cups are liberal.

The group believes corporations have a responsibility to reflect the diversity of their customers by taking a balanced approach — or staying out of divisive social issues altogether.

And while the group is not calling for a boycott, its position nonetheless raises questions about what role — if any — corporations should take on potentially sensitive matters, especially at a time when the nation is divided, largely along religious lines, on issues such as gay rights.

"Corporations have deeper pockets and therefore more influence than individuals do," said Maureen Richardson, state director of Concerned Women for America of Washington.

"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."

But experts say that on controversial issues, no company can please all its customers all the time. Corporations, they say, need to pick their battles, staking out a position on issues they believe to be just.

"There are many religious-based social issues that are so hard for society to address right now — things like abortion and capital punishment — they're better left for another time," said Leo Hindery, author of "It Takes a CEO: Leading with Integrity."

"But there are a couple of places where it is clear to me that there should be no ambiguity of corporate responsibility — the environment and civil rights," Hindery said. "As a corporation, you cannot let the desire for unanimity override your obligation for fairness."

"The Way I See It" campaign does not set out to take a political stand but rather to encourage discourse, Starbucks spokeswoman Audrey Lincoff said.

"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."

Lincoff said the company does not characterize the personalities quoted on its coffee cups as liberal or conservative, but rather as a diverse group of artists, musicians, educators, activists and athletes.

Among them: actor Quincy Jones, New Age author and alternative-medicine doctor Deepak Chopra, radio host and film critic Michael Medved, rap artist Chuck D and Olympic medalist Michelle Kwan.

The coffee company won't be pulling the Maupin quote — or any other — from the campaign, but in fact will expand it to feature quotes from regular customers.

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

Richardson, of the women's organization, cites possible support by Starbucks for pro-life clinics and the Boy Scouts of America as ways the company might offset its support of Planned Parenthood Federation of America and gay pride.

But Starbucks spokeswoman Lara Wyss said decisions about sponsoring gay-pride events and other causes are made at the store or regional level, not the corporate level. And while Starbucks matches employee contributions to charities such as Planned Parenthood, Wyss said, it doesn't make outright corporate contributions to such groups.

Other corporations have also drawn controversy over sensitive topics.

Last spring, Ken Hutcherson, pastor of Antioch Bible Church in Redmond, threatened to boycott Microsoft if it didn't back off its support of anti-discrimination legislation for gays here in Washington.

Microsoft withdrew, but said it had decided before Hutcherson issued his threat.

In Oregon last month, Nike withstood opposition and an e-mail campaign organized by a Christian organization over Nike's support of legislation that would have allowed civil unions and banned discrimination against gays.

Both measures passed the Senate but did not make it to the House for a vote.

And for more than two decades now, members of the Freedom from Religion Foundation, which advocates for the separation of state and church, said they have complained to Alaska Airlines about prayer cards the company distributes with in-flight meals.

The airline said it has been offering the cards for 30 years and has received positive responses along with complaints. Passengers are free to give the cards back or turn them over if they don't want them, the carrier said.

John Hoover, a national business consultant and author who has advised such companies as IBM, Delta Air Lines and Boeing on the art of confrontation, said, "It's not incumbent on corporations to operate with balance" as Richardson suggests.

"But when they stand by their conscience, they must be willing to accept the consequences."

What is with Christian fundamentalists and this "homosexual agenda"? You wanna know what the big secret is? They want to be left alone.

[wolveraptor]

Super-fucking Saiyan Jesus! If they can influence such large corporations, they must be more powerful than I thought.

[CaptJodan]

Honestly, I just can't even see why this type of discrimination against homosexuals by the fundie right is any different from discrimination against minorities or people of color. I've never before, nor now understand what the difference is supposed to be. The Bible says a few lines implying that homosexuals are sinners, and suddenly that's the right to discriminate? What about the passages that apply to racism that the KKK latched on to so readily? Civil Rights are civil rights, whether it's skin color or sexual orientation.

How the hell is it that none of these people can see that what they're doing is the same thing we did against the African American community?

[Zero]

Actually, the bible contains more references to the evils of heterosexual intercourse then to homosexual sex. It's all fucked up..

[wolveraptor]

That's simply because it was more common. They made quite clear that "sleeping with another man as if he were a woman" was wrong.

...I suppose if you had sex, then went to sleep in different beds, you could circumvent that.

[Zero]

Actually, according to some damned thing I read, the greek word translated to abomination in the passage that makes it so clear actually meant 'uncleanliness' in the original passage.

[Admiral Valdemar]

This is scary. Starbucks should have the power to crush these fools, yet this is turning into a Dark Side influence now.

[LauraG]

"I think it's wiser for them to stay out of these issues so that they don't offend conservatives and people of faith."

Followed immediately by:

To these companies, she says: "If you want my money, support some of my causes."

Translation: This woman thinks it's wrong to have a point of view than offends her and she'll kick you around mercilessly for it, but she'll get the warm fuzzies for you if you give her money to further her opinions over everyone else's.

Why hasn't she stopped to think that her opinions offend liberals and atheists?

Don't you just love christian values?

[CaptJodan]

"I think it's wiser for them to stay out of these issues so that they don't offend conservatives and people of faith."

Followed immediately by:

To these companies, she says: "If you want my money, support some of my causes."

Translation: This woman thinks it's wrong to have a point of view than offends her and she'll kick you around mercilessly for it, but she'll get the warm fuzzies for you if you give her money to further her opinions over everyone else's.

Why hasn't she stopped to think that her opinions offend liberals and atheists?

Don't you just love christian values?

Oh but of course that doesn't matter to the Fundie lady. She's doing God's work after all. I guess it all comes down to that fundemental aspect. God said it's evil, (in their translation) so whether or not it's wrong morally, it's right by God. Ergo, just as in the crusades, she's doing it for all of our own good.

And BTW, if you don't like it, you're going to Hell anyway, so your opinion really doesn't matter.

[The Guid]

"I think it's wiser for them to stay out of these issues so that they don't offend conservatives and people of faith."

They have faith my arse.

[Gustav32Vasa]

Super-fucking Saiyan Jesus! If they can influence such large corporations, they must be more powerful than I thought.

Of course. Didnt you knew that it was the Gay Agenda together with the Gay maffia that made Bush invade Iraq.

[The Guid]

I think Wolveraptor was referring to the power of da FUNDIES!

[Morilore]

All this, and still the popular perception is that liberals are obsessed with political correctness and offending no one.

Lady, make your own fucking coffee cups.

[Civil War Man]

Like everyone else, I call bullshit. But I'm going to point out something else...

Concerned Women for America, which promotes itself as the antithesis of the National Organization for Women and boasts 8,700 supporters in Washington, says most of those quoted on the coffee cups are liberal.

Huh? A Seattle-based corporation is liberal?!

gasp.

[Wicked Pilot]

Fuck the fundies, I'll drink my Starbucks and listen to my grunge and there's nothing they can do about it.

[wilfulton]

Hmm... when I first started reading this article I thought the "bullshit in question" was the idea of starbucks putting (in)famous quotes on their cups.

On that note, if you want to spark coffeehouse discussions, paint all the cups with pentagrams and skulls and crossbones. And flames, can't forget those.

Ya know, I sometimes don't really know if fundies really are all that bad. Look at it this way, who better to fuck with when they come to your door and you answer with an upside down pentagram T-shirt with the stereo blasting black sabbath, and a beer in hand?

[Quadlok]

Like everyone else, I call bullshit. But I'm going to point out something else...

Concerned Women for America, which promotes itself as the antithesis of the National Organization for Women and boasts 8,700 supporters in Washington, says most of those quoted on the coffee cups are liberal.

Huh? A Seattle-based corporation is liberal?!

gasp.

It is home to the Discovery Institute, too, you know. Maybe this woman was so out of touch with reality that she had only heard of the city as the home of the chief proponents of creationism in a clown suit.

[Wicked Pilot]

It is home to the Discovery Institute, too, you know.

Even the most beautiful women have holes in their butts where shit comes out. I know some guys kinda like that part, but you see the arguement I'm trying to make.

[FedRebel]

Starbucks says it was hoping to inspire old-fashioned coffee-house conversations when it introduced a campaign this year featuring the words of notable Americans on its coffee cups.

An interesting idea

But at least a few of those words are sparking more discord than discussion.

Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but what could the problem be?

A national Christian women's organization

Okay, I get it now...

it's nuns who don't want to give up sex that have an issue with words on an overpriced paper cup

is accusing the Seattle-based coffee maker of promoting a homosexual agenda because of a quote by author Armistead Maupin, whose "Tales of the City" chronicled San Francisco's homosexual community in the 1970s and 1980s.

Oh my God! One little blurb on one out of a thousand paper cups MUST bethe endorsement of homosexuality!

Give me a break.

They go apeshit over a paper cup yet none of these people want to strike at the "TEH EVIL!!!" 'source' of homosexuallity?

Concerned Women for America, which promotes itself as the antithesis of the National Organization for Women and boasts 8,700 supporters in Washington, says most of those quoted on the coffee cups are liberal.

Why do the feminazi-fudie-soccer moms of America think liberals are evil?

The group believes corporations have a responsibility to reflect the diversity of their customers by taking a balanced approach — or staying out of divisive social issues altogether.

Gee, I wonder if they know how to spell hypocrisy?

And while the group is not calling for a boycott, its position nonetheless raises questions about what role — if any — corporations should take on potentially sensitive matters, especially at a time when the nation is divided, largely along religious lines, on issues such as gay rights.

Whatever position they damn well please that'll give them the best profits

"Corporations have deeper pockets and therefore more influence than individuals do," said Maureen Richardson, state director of Concerned Women for America of Washington.

So, what?

"I think it's wiser for them to stay out of these issues so that they don't offend conservatives and people of faith."

Why? Marketing thought it was a good idea, and when they did focous groups no one apparently complained.

But because your little Femifundinazi group starts complaining they should change because your opinion is almighty?

To these companies, she says: "If you want my money, support some of my causes."

What profit would be aquired by donating to your causes?

It only yields PR value and that is insignificant next to the loss of non-christian and male customers

[Dalton]

If Starbucks had printed bible verses on their cups, these clowns wouldn't say a word. You want an agenda, you Christian fucknuts? Look in the mirror.

Equal rights is not an agenda.

[WyrdNyrd]

What is with Christian fundamentalists and this "homosexual agenda"? You wanna know what the big secret is? They want to be left alone.

Oh noes, that's not true! They don't just want to be left alone, they want to force the whole world to become gay, and they want to seduce our children, and they want to replace Congress with Evil Communist Kittens of DOOM!

"Corporations have deeper pockets and therefore more influence than individuals do," said Maureen Richardson, state director of Concerned Women for America of Washington.

As opposed to the poor, impoverished churches who can barely afford 5 minutes of airtime per week...

[weemadando]

Ah yes, the homosexual agenda.

How terrible it is - just look at the moral decay in Tasmania since SODOMY was legalised! Though, due to an obscure law being still in the books it remains illegal for a man to be dressed in a womans clothing between dusk and dawn - I guess if its cross dressing during the day, then there isn't anything wrong with it.

[VT-16]

Why hasn't she stopped to think that her opinions offend liberals and atheists?

Because they don´t matter and will be killed and tortured in the coming genocide known as the Apocalypse(TM).

They go apeshit over a paper cup yet none of these people want to strike at the "TEH EVIL!!!" 'source' of homosexuallity?

I wish Fundies would re-grow their balls and saw gays in half like in the Middle Ages. Now it´s all talk.

Seriously guys, this is the 1950s all over again, except in most argument you have to cut out 'black' and replace it with 'gay'. I´m no longer surprised to see asshats ignoring the similarities.

[Molyneux]

I have no problem with the Christian womens' thingy wanting Starbucks to put quotes from great right-wing thinkers on their cups...

Hmm...

Can anyone think of any? I mean, aside from good libertarian/Abe Lincoln-era Republican/freedom-and-justice-for-all, not-just-giving-it-lip-service conservatives? Any at all that would actually support the fundie dickheads' PoV?

...guess not.

[kheegster]

They go apeshit over a paper cup yet none of these people want to strike at the "TEH EVIL!!!" 'source' of homosexuallity?

I wish Fundies would re-grow their balls and saw gays in half like in the Middle Ages. Now it´s all talk.

You speak too soon. That's pretty much they do to gays in Iran.