Last week, the 25th Senate vote in favor of marriage equality for Washington was gained through Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen. The House is expected to have plenty of support once it comes their way, which means we can expect Washington to be the 7th state in the US to allow equal gay marriage. Thank you to Governor Chris Gregoire for her words that so articulately make clear the situation of the gay equality fight in America. When our lawmakers begin to focus on every family and every person rather than just what seems like a whole family or a whole person in their personal eyes, we can begin to see real change. Gregoire wonderfully defines the importance of keeping faith out of the legal governing of a people. This is a must-watch.



What I'm really interested in is Starbuck's open support of gay marriage equality with the following statement from Karen Holmes, a Starbucks executive vice president:

To: U.S. partners Date: January 24, 2012 Re: A Message from Kalen Holmes: Starbucks Supports Marriage Equality

Dear partners, 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. For the last 20 years, our benefits program has offered domestic partner benefits in the U.S. These benefits include medical, dental, vision, prescription drugs and alternative health care coverage. All partners (part-time and full-time) in all work locations, whether in a store, a roasting plant or a corporate office, adhere to the same eligibility requirements for health coverage and have access to the same comprehensive health plans. We are deeply dedicated to embracing diversity and treating one another with respect and dignity, and remain committed to providing an inclusive, supportive and safe work environment for all of our partners. We look forward to seeing this legislation enacted into law. Regards,

Kalen Holmes executive vice president, Partner Resources

In the light of the seemingly fading Occupy Wall Street movement, I have to think about how corporations can be using their power for good. The OWS movement highlighted the bad that really does need to be addressed, but it's easy for people to let choices of the bad outweigh the actions of good. Microsoft, Nike, Google and others have all come out to publicly support marriage equality. These corporations have shaped the last few decades of this country and will continue to do so in a major way. They are accepting their roles as stewards of the customers that support them and making a bold statement that is risky in this very tense political climate. We've got a lot at stake right now. The gay movement is on the forefront. People don't even care if their legislators know anything about the crippled economy, how to promote their communities or what the hell they had for breakfast. All they want to know is, "How do you feel about the gays?" Our country is selecting leaders based on what they think of Bert and Ernie's living situation. We need the activists who lobby for legislation and the legislators who cast the vote for right or wrong, but we also need the big kids on the playground that you pick first for the kickball game. Those corporations I listed above have done WAY more for the shaping of our country than any group of legislators if you really think about it. Maybe that's stretching it a bit, but I honestly don't think it is.

I think it's time for the LGBT community to stop being lackadaisical about how their lives are limited and controlled. Nothing changes until we make change ourselves. As far as this post goes, that means expressing appreciation from support of corporations with the power to make good change and not supporting those who do not. I know we can't keep up with every dollar whoever spends where or who's beating Bibles today and gay-for-pay tomorrow, but we have to accept some responsibility. I know most of you are UA students with (quickly dwindling) Dining Dollars, so make it a point to go grab a Venti Skinny Vanilla Latte this week at the Ferg as an appreciative nod to Starbucks. I sure will.

If you know of any corporations that deserve our support or need to be knocked off our list, please let me know in the comments or on FB or while I'm in my heels at Icon even. I haven't given a dime to Chick-Fil-A in over a year so I'm looking for a new cart to hitch to my wagon that everyone can hop on. If corporations are going to rule our country, then I'm going to stop watching the national primaries and start sucking down Frappuccinos. It's the new voting system of Corporate America.


Over and Out,
CampusQueer