Last week, Starbucks joined the long list of Washington employers endorsing Washington’s marriage equality bill. The Starbucks statement reflects their years-long commitment to equality:

Starbucks is proud to join other leading Northwest employers in support of Washington State legislation recognizing marriage equality for same-sex couples. Starbucks strives to create a company culture that puts our partners first, and our company has a lengthy history of leading and supporting policies that promote equality and inclusion.

This important legislation is aligned with Starbucks business practices and upholds our belief in the equal treatment of partners. It is core to who we are and what we value as a company. We are proud of our Pride Alliance Partner Network group, which is one of the largest Employer Resource Groups for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) employees in the U.S., helping to raise awareness about issues in the communities where we live and work.

Although Starbucks isn’t the first major employer to endorse the bill, National Organization for Marriage’s Brian Brown responded especially strongly to their announcement. In a hysteria-filled blog post, Brown ordered Starbucks to “stay out of marriage fights”, nonsensically accused Starbucks of discrimination against anti-gay customers (do they wear signs, or something?) and pledged to wage a public relations campaign against Starbucks.

CLICK HERE TO SEND A THANK-YOU EMAIL TO STARBUCKS

If NOM was going to launch an all-out attack on Starbucks, I decided that the least I could do was thank Starbucks for their support. My note was simple:

THANK YOU for supporting the marriage equality bill in Washington state. My wife and I (we’re a gay couple) recently moved from Seattle, WA to Worcester, MA, and this means a lot to us. We’re loyal Starbucks customers and visit the W Boylston St store in Worcester several times per week. 

Starbucks is listening. I got this nice note back from a Starbucks Customer Relations representative the same day.

Dear Laurel,

Thank you for contacting Starbucks Coffee Company.

Thank you for taking the time out of your day to reach out to us. Starbucks is proud to join other leading Northwest employers in support of Washington State legislation recognizing marriage equality for same-sex couples. From our very earliest days, Starbucks has strived to create a company culture that put our people first, and our company has a lengthy history of leading on and supporting policies that promote equality and inclusion. Domestic partner benefits have been an important part of the work experience for our partners (employees) here in Washington State. We look forward to seeing this legislation enacted into law.

I sincerely appreciate your comments and hope you will continue to enjoy Starbucks coffee.

Sincerely,

Matthew L
Customer Relations
Starbucks Coffee Company
800 STARBUC (782-7282)
Monday through Friday, 5AM to 8PM (PST)

Don’t let NOM have the last word. Let Starbucks know you appreciate their standing up for equality.

CLICK HERE TO SEND A THANK-YOU EMAIL TO STARBUCKS

Update 2/2: Just learned from a barista at the local store that when they made their announcement to the media, Starbucks also sent out a company-wide email letting employees know about it’s official support for Washington’s marriage equality bill. They’re just as out and proud as we are.