Starbucks CEO to opponents of same sex marriage if you don't like it "sell your shares of Starbucks"

[Paul E Ester]

The CEO of Starbucks defended his support of same-sex marriage at the company’s annual meeting in Seattle. Starbucks came out in favor last year of Washington’s referendum legalizing same-sex marriage. Opponents of that measure vowed to make Starbuck’s pay, and the National Organization for Marriage launched a boycott of Starbucks.

At the company’s annual meeting Wednesday, shareholder Tom Strobhar suggested that the boycott had indeed bled the company of value.

“In the first fill quarter after this boycott was announced, our sales and our earrings — shall we say politely — were a bit disappointing,” he said

.

CEO Howard Schultz shot back that the decision to back gay marriage was not about the bottom line, but about respecting diversity. He said the company had delivered a healthy return last year, boycott or no.

“If you feel, respectfully, that you can get a higher return than the 38 percent you got last year, it’s a free country. You can sell your shares of Starbucks and buy shares in another company. Thank you very much,” he said, to loud applause from the audience.

http://kplu.org/post/schultz-defends-starbucks-support-same-sex-marriage
Audio at the link.

[Nika]

1. Good for Starbucks for doing the right thing on this issue.

[Politicub]

2. Awesome. Love Starbucks!

Happy to continue giving them my business. They are putting their money where their mouth is.

[sanatanadharma]

3. My words of appreciation for the CEO's point, but...

...at 38% return, perhaps we are all 'loving' Starbucks too much.

[Celebration]

7. pretty sure he meant the stock has gone up that much n/t

[Nanjing to Seoul]

10. okay. . .let's go to Chick-Fil-A then instead and use our money to support a company

that does things we don't like.

if i love starbucks too much, it's due to their positions and their hot chocolate and muffins, not their coffee (which i am not a fan of at all). And because of their political positions, i will continue to 'love' starbucks too much.

[awoke_in_2003]

4. I think I will buy a cup tonight. nt

[etherealtruth]

5. I love when people do the right thing!

On edit: I hate Starbucks coffee (I am a black coffee lover and their's "kinda sucks&quot , but I am willing to try to aquire a taste for it

[MoonchildCA]

11. You will acquire a taste for it.

I'm a black coffee drinker too, and when I first tasted it (some 15 or so years ago), I didn't like it either, I thought it was bitter. Now my tastes have "matured" and few coffees compare...

Except their Pike Place, that stuff tastes like bad coffee shop coffee made too strong.

[OldDem2012]

6. Well said. nt.

[smirkymonkey]

8. K&R

I think I will have a cup of Starbucks coffee tomorrow. I admire their stance on this issue.

[grandpamike1]

9. I am proud to be a customer

Of Starbucks. I wish other CEO's would make similar declarations.