'Gay' Coffee Cup Stirs Controversy

NEW YORK CITY, NY -- The Seattle based coffee company Starbucks' coffee cups have turned out to be too controversial for some elements in right-wing America. The coffee cups display quotes from well-known authors, among them a quote from famous gay author Armistead Maupin, whose "Tales of the City" chronicled gay life in San Francisco in the 70's and 80's.

The Baptist-affiliated Baylor University demanded that their dining contractor Aramark, which has the Starbucks franchise on the school campus, remove coffee cups that display the quote from the author. Aramark decided to comply and pulled the cups earlier this month from the campus store.

The quote deemed too offensive says:

"My only regret about being gay is that I repressed it for so long. I surrendered my youth to the people I feared when I could have been out there loving someone. Don't make that mistake yourself. Life's too damn short."

The conservative Christian group Concerned Women for America, has repeatedly been condemning Starbucks for the company's positive stand on gay and lesbian issues.

"It's not enough not to go to Starbucks anymore," said Robert Knight, director of CWA’s Culture & Family Institute.

"You really need to visit your neighborhood Starbucks and ask to see the manager and just say, "You know, I've gone here a lot and I would love to go here but I have to tell you your company's promotion of something that is against my values prevents me from having coffee here anymore, and I've found alternatives. You make a great product, but you deserve to know why people aren't buying your product anymore.""

Despite protests Starbucks has stood behind their campaign. Alan Hilowitz, Starbucks' media manager, says "As a company committed to embracing diversity and inclusion, we welcome differing points of view and realize that people express their opinions in many ways, including the Internet and in articles."