
CONTACTAbout UsCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2025 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
The antigay National Organization for Marriage is taking its call for a Starbucks boycott beyond U.S. borders, targeting several countries that criminalize homosexuality.
"Today we go international, expanding DumpStarbucks.com campaigns into Mandarin, Arabic, Turkish, Spanish, and Bahala," the latter being one of the chief languages of Indonesia, NOM president Brian Brown announced in a news release Tuesday about the campaign, which the organization launched over Starbucks' support for marriage equality in the company's home state of Washington. "DumpStarbucks.com online ads will also start running in Egypt, Beijing, Hong Kong, the Yunnan region of China, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait."
According to the International Lesbian and Gay Association, some of those countries, such as Egypt, Oman, and the UAE, have laws against gay sex, with prison terms for those convicted. Some activists say the NOM campaign's expansion will brew more bigotry in nations already unfriendly to LGBT people. It "could foster increased hostilities against people just for the coffee they choose to drink," noted a blogger at Think Progress, calling the action NOM's "most detestable yet."
The language on the campaign's website certainly conveys hostility to LGBT people, saying, "In many areas of the world where Starbucks does business, the concept of 'gay marriage' is unheard of and deeply offensive to cultural, moral and religious values. ... Starbucks has declared a culture war on all people of faith (and millions of others) who believe that the institution of marriage as one man and one woman is worth preserving."
Yet another statement from NOM co-opts the language of diversity. "If [Starbucks CEO] Howard Schultz and his insular Seattle liberals hear from enough of us, management will move to a more genuinely inclusive attitude toward its customers' and partners' diverse views on marriage," said Jonathan Baker, head of NOM's Corporate Fairness Project, in Tuesday's press release.
In any case, the Dump Starbucks campaign has drawn far fewer supporters than a rival, pro-LGBT movement. About 25,000 people have signed on to the boycott, while last week SumOfUs.org, Washington United for Marriage, and MoveOn.org delivered a giant thank-you card and petitions bearing 640,000 signatures to Starbucks' Seattle headquarters in appreciation of the company's endorsement of LGBT equality.
trudestress
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
31 Period Films of Lesbians and Bi Women in Love That Will Take You Back
December 09 2024 1:00 PM
18 of the most batsh*t things N.C. Republican governor candidate Mark Robinson has said
October 30 2024 11:06 AM
True
After 20 years, and after tonight, Obama will no longer be the Democrats' top star
August 20 2024 12:28 PM
Trump ally Laura Loomer goes after Lindsey Graham: ‘We all know you’re gay’
September 13 2024 2:28 PM
These 15 major companies caved to the far right and stopped DEI programs
January 24 2025 1:11 PM
True
Latest Stories
No LGB without the T — queer community protests Trump's transgender erasure at Stonewall
February 14 2025 6:30 PM
Opinion: Cowards like ‘moderate’ Sen. Susan Collins prove that the U.S. Senate is now Trump’s Duma
February 14 2025 5:42 PM
Why LGBTQ+ groups are angry at RFK Jr.'s confirmation
February 14 2025 5:26 PM
WorldPride 2025 expects huge ‘visibility’ march & rally in D.C. amid Trump’s anti-LGBTQ+ agenda
February 14 2025 4:55 PM
Ohio bill would ban ejaculation without intent to conceive — with exceptions for LGBTQ+ people
February 14 2025 4:38 PM
Trump is ‘dangerously’ conflating gender-affirming care with a human rights violation
February 14 2025 12:42 PM
White House Correspondents' Association president Eugene Daniels blasts decision to block AP journalists
February 14 2025 11:39 AM
True
'Transgender' references erased from Stonewall National Monument website
February 14 2025 9:48 AM
From PEPFAR to peril, what happens when lifelines are cut?
February 14 2025 7:00 AM
Worcester: sanctuary city for the transgender community
February 13 2025 6:27 PM
Blame Mitch McConnell if you’re scared and angry
February 13 2025 5:06 PM
Federal judge orders restoration of health agency web pages
February 13 2025 5:02 PM
Kennedy Center scrubs LGBTQ+ Pride concert after Donald Trump takeover
February 13 2025 4:49 PM
BREAKING: Federal judge blocks Trump’s gender-affirming care ban for minors
February 13 2025 4:34 PM
These Blue states are making it easier for transgender people to update their documents
February 13 2025 12:09 PM
These are not ordinary times: How the Human Rights Campaign plans to move forward
February 13 2025 12:01 PM
Democratic lawmakers lead congressional push to reverse Trump’s transgender military ban
February 13 2025 12:00 PM
True
Trending stories
Recommended Stories for You
Trudy Ring
Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.
Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.