How We Boycott and Why I Went to Starbucks This Morning

I’m not sure how we got to a place in which it’s considered a political act to buy fast food, but here we are. For the conservatives, it was fried-chicken sandwiches, and now, for the liberals’ turn, we get hastily prepared Frappuccinos. It would be one thing if Starbucks was working in conjunction with Equally Wed. If the coffee giant was giving some of the proceeds from National Marriage Equality Day to any of the very worthy nonprofits working to make same-sex marriage in America legal, I’d be the first one in line on August 7. As it stands, however, Starbucks has yet to make a peep about Starbucks Appreciation Day. Rather, the day is a response to Starbucks’ corporate office’s proclaiming in March of this year that it supports marriage equality in the company’s home state of Washington. Good for Starbucks, but what has it done for me lately? Specifically, is it ready to put its money where its mouth is on August 7?

That’s Billfold pal Cord Jefferson reminding us that today is “National Starbucks Appreciation Day,” a fake holiday created by gay rights group Equally Wed to “affirm a business that operates on moral principles and whose executives are willing to take a stand for human dignity and upstanding values,” because Starbucks says it is supporting gay marriage legislation in its home state of Washington.

I went to Starbucks today for the same reason I go to Starbucks most work days: I wanted a cup of coffee (and Gregory’s Coffee doesn’t taste that great to me). It didn’t look like any of the customers in the coffee shop this morning were there to support gay marriage, but if so, I salute them, but I also agree with Jefferson and wish they’d just send their money to Human Rights Campaign, instead of Starbucks’s coffers. Get some coffee is you want some coffee, but your money will actually make a difference at an organization like HRC.

But! If you’re in Los Angeles, I would suggest you buy a Chick-for-gay sandwich that Abbey Food & Bar is selling from now until the November election. All the proceeds from the sandwich sales will go to the “American Foundation for Equal Rights, the sole sponsor of the federal challenge to Prop 8.” Also, it looks like it’d be tasty.

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