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Groups to Boycott Starbucks Over Stances on Gay Rights, Guns

Separate boycotts criticize coffee chain's stances on national issues.

Some religious and political groups would like Starbucks customers in Burlingame to grab their morning coffee elsewhere on Burlingame Avenue and Broadway in light of the company's stance on gay marriage and its policy on guns.

USA Christian Ministries, a right-wing Christian group boycotting Starbucks for its recent support of gay marriage in the state of Washington, said in a news release that the coffee chain's decision has angered Christians.


"Christians are upset with Starbucks for turning against God," Steven Andrew, president of USA Christian Ministries, said.

The group hopes that, with full support from Christians, Starbucks, which operates , could lose up to 80 percent of its business.

Starbucks joined Microsoft and Nike in publicly supporting gay marriage in a statement last week, according to the Seattle Times. In its statement, Kalen Holmes, executive vice president for partner resources, said the company embraces diversity and provides an "inclusive, supportive and safe work environment" for its employees.

"This important legislation is aligned with Starbucks business practices and upholds our belief in the equal treatment of partners," the statement read. "It is core to who we are and what we value as a company."

This isn't the first time the company has made headlines for taking a stance on gay marriage. In 2011, Starbucks was among a group of 70 business and organizations opposing the Defense of Marriage Act, CNN reported.

An unrelated Feb. 14 boycott is planned to protest the company's policy allowing customers with guns to be served.

The National Gun Victims Action Council, an anti-gun group, said in a Jan. 23 news release its goal is to "eliminate the risk of guns in public places and ultimately to bring sane gun laws to the U.S."

 

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jane mcfeely@gmail.com February 3, 2012 at 10:34 am
Well that out to make 5 less people at each location! Lol
Mary Gambertoglio February 3, 2012 at 02:29 pm
Go Starbucks!!!!
Bob Winters February 3, 2012 at 03:58 pm
80% loss of business? I'm not sure that 4 out of 5 people I talk to in Burlingame, or anywhere in California would agree with that.
Lara February 7, 2012 at 03:24 am
How would these Christian people feel if others started discriminating against them and boycotting their businesses???? Do Christians believe in the golden rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you? If they claim to believe in this then they are hypocrites.
Fiona Hamilton February 8, 2012 at 04:26 pm
Sometimes these religious folks give religion a bad name!
Alvy Singer December 13, 2012 at 12:56 am
I'm against boycotting, because a good pizza is a good pizza no matter ones political stance. I feel boycotts drive a wedge between us and the local business may not even support what the corporations press office is saying. However if you see the film Harvey Milk, that's what they engaged in and engage in to this day. Boycotts.

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Tom Eiseman June 6, 2013 at 07:59 am
It's not just you, it's all of us. I'll bet most of us have seen this happen all over town. PeopleRead More don't seem to be in the habit of checking for pedestrians, unless perhaps they're near a school. Drivers need to understand that they must watch, yield and wait. In large cities where there may be dozens of people in an intersection, drivers, for the most part, observe the law--there's safety in numbers. So when we're alone or in a small group, and find ourselves in a crosswalk around here, we all must remain alert and be ready to "jump out of the way" of some unobservant or inconsiderate driver.