Coffee Roaster Removes Apology For Homophobic Tweet From Website

After the state of New York recently legalized gay marriage, San Antonio-based Brown Coffee Company tweeted "No human law can ever legitimize what natural law precludes. #SorryFolks #NotEqual #WhyBother #ChasingAfterTheWind #SelfEvident."

(Image via RBC NYC Tumblr)

As a result of the tweet, New York City-based RBC NYC coffee shop announced, "Although we won’t tell you what RBC stands for, we’ll let you know it doesn’t stand for intolerance and bigotry, therefore we will not be doing business with The Brown Coffee Co. anymore."

Brown Coffee Company has since deleted the tweet, locked its Twitter account, and apparently deleted its Facebook page. But, the company's blog is still operational and Brown Coffee Company recently posted a rather strange justification of the tweet:

In the post, it mentioned the differences between Natural Law and Human Law and mentioned that they were different and unequal. This was a post about CLASSICAL PHILOSOPHY and LAWS (a la Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, etc.), not PEOPLE; but somehow people began to twist what was written and added their own lies to the post to mean that somehow we at The Brown Coffee Company are hateful, homophobic, intolerant people. Those are not the facts and we regret that this has descended into something very ugly based on other people’s incorrect reading of the Twitter post.

Read the full statement here.

The Houston Press writes that the blog post "hilariously defends" the anti-gay tweet. We agree, but are also just so rusty on our Plato and Aquinas that it's probably better to steer clear of Brown Coffee Co. altogether.

UPDATE: Brown Coffee Co. has posted an apology on its website:

We at the Brown Coffee Company would like to issue a formal apology for a hurtful Twitter post that was put out on our company's Twitter profile. We want to say for the record that everyone in this small family company is deeply regretful of all the offense we have caused everyone in this situation. We are truly sorry to have offended all the people we have offended. That kind of awful bigotry, hatred and slander has never been and will never be something we believe in and/or post and we are sorry to anyone who has seen this.

That Twitter post was contrary to everything we have strived to be as a company: one that enjoys life and enjoys people, regardless of personal beliefs. Those in the community who know us personally know that we are not hateful, spiteful, bigoted, intolerant people.

Thank you very much for giving us the opportunity to tell our side of the story. We humbly stand before anyone reading this and ask for your forgiveness for all the terrible things this stupid Twitter post has become and for all the offense it has caused to good people.

UPDATE #2: Brown Coffee Co. has removed the apology from its website and its last blog post is now from March 31, 2010. There is now nothing on its website that mentions the incident.

UPDATE #3: Brown Coffee Co. has written a blog post to describe the past few days.

Comments

[European1919]

01:50 AM on 07/12/2011

The connection between the tweet and homophobia completely escapes me. But then people will always see what they want to see and interpretation is very often the name of the game. To the guy with the hammer everything will look like a nail.

[Ed Baker]

04:49 PM on 07/08/2011

Mixing business with politics or religion is never a good business plan.

[valkrydr]

08:28 AM on 07/01/2011

Since intolerance was brought up by the homosexuals in this comment section, I would just say this---I really don't care what you do in your personal life, just don't flount it and call it an acceptable alternative life-style. It seems to me that you believe anyone that isn't " gay " is a homophobe. Well, I have come to the conclusion that christian bashing is the only " bashing " that is tolerated by, not only our government, but by anyone that doesn't believe that Gods word is as true today as it was in the first century. It seems to me that if a liberal doesn't subscribe to something, they believe that it should be outlawed, or done away with completely. I suppose if the pedophiles in this country have " child molesters " parades and insist on " pedophile day " that it too will soon be tolerated and legalized. As I see it, it is just a sign of the times. Brown Coffee Company, has as much right to voice their opinion as anyone else. I believe this is called free speech. If they are not allowed to voice their opinion, then the gays and lesbians must also keep their mouth shut. Either there is free speech for everyone, or noone.

[klbrz]

05:59 PM on 07/01/2011

Brown Coffee Co. does have the right to say whatever they want. And, their customers, or potential customers, have the right to disagree and choose not to buy from Brown. That is also free speech.

[valkrydr]

06:26 PM on 07/02/2011

klbrz, you are right on this point. anyone has the right to either buy their product or not. But what they said doesn't make them homophobic or anything else. Just as you have decided not to buy their product, doesn't make you Coffee-phobic. It just makes you a free will spirit, as the opinion of Brown Coffee Co. does.

[kareemachan]

11:59 AM on 07/02/2011

Keep on comparing apples to oranges, and we'll know for sure that despite your claims to the contrary, you ARE an intolerant person.

[valkrydr]

06:32 PM on 07/02/2011

kareemachan, we are not talking about apples and oranges, we are talking about FREE SPEECH As you have the freedom to say whatever pleases you, does not mean that you have the power to silence the rest of the world just because you disagree. As you continue to try to silence others, this makes you not only intolerant of others, but very hypocritical in your own thinking.

[DMSmith]

11:37 PM on 06/30/2011

You cannot apologize or take back something so disgustingly intolerant. You cannot later say you are sorry and it's not what you mean.
I will never again knowingly drink or use ANY product of this company. Nor should any of us.
Their attempt to first explain it, then the attempt to take it back is not ever enough.
They are getting what they so well deserve.
I hope they fail as a result. I, for one, have had enough. I'm through forgiving hatefulness and idiocy aimed at me and mine.

[PaulInMiami]

11:05 PM on 06/30/2011

STOP referring to those of us as HOMOPHOBIC (as in this title) who detest the homosexuals' flaunting of their perversions in "gay pride" marches and public demonstrations of their immoral practices...sort of like gross farting in a public restaurant. I neither hate nor fear homosexual persons, but I find the "in-your-face" homosexual agenda (and AGENDA it is!) loathesome and detestable. So, we are called homophobic, incorrectly and hypocritically, as I explain:

Any educated person knows that "phobic" refers to an irrationally exaggerated, unhealthy, abnormal fear. It is unfair to apply it to persons who hold views that are in opposition to one's own. For example, on this HuffPost, there are many who make rude, scornful comments toward Christians and even the Supreme Deity/Jesus Christ. Can we not then say that these persons who are in such scornful opposition are "GOD-PHOBIC" or, more exactly, "GOD-FEARING"? Indeed ridiculous, right? But no more so than the appellations these people use for themselves (gay--when there is nothing happy about their unnatural lifestyle with its high incidence of AIDS and STD's) and for those of us (homophobic) who refuse to play along with their agenda which insists that their perversion is acceptable as an "alternative lifestyle" and deserves the approval of all society.

[DMSmith]

11:40 PM on 06/30/2011

One of the most arrogant HOMOPHOBIC rants I've read.
You ARE homophobic. You ARE hateful. Period.

[valkrydr]

08:36 AM on 07/01/2011

DMSmith, you are more arrogant, intolerant and more hateful than PaulinMiami. Just because he doesn't share your views, you call him HOMOPHOBIC and HATEFUL. Perhaps, DM you need only to look in the mirror to see HATEFUL and INTOLERANT !!!PERIOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[kareemachan]

12:07 PM on 07/02/2011

It is totally acceptable to call somebody phobic when they exhibit extreme reactions to something they don't agree with, ie, your comment comes to mind. You - and valk - are prime examples of homophobia, despite your weak disclaimers.

[duckpuddle]

10:05 PM on 06/30/2011

This can't be good for business no matter his spin. This bit from the coffee guy's last post sounds pretty gay to me:

"Seriously. We were a bit worried for our persons. But then I figured, why? Why do I need to do anything differently? I know who I am. I’m not any of those things any of those people said about me"

[IndolentFlourish]

05:53 PM on 06/30/2011

Bitter coffee is BAD coffee, both actually and figuratively. But how fun to comment on something so trivial and important at the same time.

[Halfback]

07:11 PM on 06/29/2011

Their apology seems honest, done deal with me.....

[Lisa Vukas]

10:16 AM on 06/30/2011

You mean the one they removed from their site?

[littlepuffycloud]

12:12 PM on 06/30/2011

You mean the one they felt forced to give?

[samknox]

06:51 PM on 06/29/2011

Money changes everything.

[Ed Baker]

04:47 PM on 07/08/2011

You have that right.

[Silverlaker]

02:12 PM on 06/29/2011

How could a gay person ever feel comfortable going to this place knowing that the guy brewing your personal cup of coffee thinks you are #NotEqual and #ChasingAfterTheWind? I find the whole thing very sad.

[Ed Baker]

04:48 PM on 07/08/2011

I'd never go there, just as I will never look upon the image of, or hear the voice of Tracy Morgan again.

[sensimilla]

11:26 AM on 06/29/2011

Brown Coffee tweeted how they felt, and thousands of customers dropped off their radar. I'm for freedom of speech, but expect to pay for intolerance and h4te.

[sensimilla]

11:24 AM on 06/29/2011

The greatest power of the American People is through our wallets. We CAN control the c0rporations, the politicians, the public servants. Just stop buying products, and everything will change.

[Chris Gunadi]

11:29 AM on 06/29/2011

Its not a corporation. Its a small family business. Husband, Wife and two kids in grade school

[Frustrated in PA]

10:16 AM on 06/30/2011

Then they should have thought about that before they tweeted something that really has NOTHING to do with their business, gay marriage in NY. But they choose to insert their opinion ON BEHALF OF THEIR BUSINESS and sorry, consequences of bad business practices.

[littlepuffycloud]

12:14 PM on 06/30/2011

Doesn't matter if they were multi-million $ corporation or 'small family business'..they can spew unsolicited hateful opinions and we can get our coffee elsewhere. Cool how that works out, eh?

[jeana21]

11:01 AM on 06/29/2011

Hurting someone's wallet always brings remorse...

[Billdabuilder]

09:38 AM on 06/29/2011

Dear Brown Coffee Company, Whether I support what you said or not is beside the point. I'm not even sure I know what you said. I do wholeheartedly support your right to say it. I will be asking your product everytime I ask for a cup of coffee in the future.

[Pdeco1]

11:15 AM on 06/29/2011

It is your choice to send them your money. When a business uses its voice to preach, by continuing to do business with them you are supporting their view.

You may want to understand what they are saying before you join them. Your money only strengthens their voice.

[Billdabuilder]

01:54 PM on 06/29/2011

I give them money for a product. I don't tell them how to spend their money. I get paid money to produce a product. Should my employer be able to tell me how to spend my money?
My comment was directed at the people who would deny the company the right to express a free opinion. Whether I agree with it or not. Voltaire, I believe, said something about not agreeing with something someone said but he would defend to the death their right to say it. I agree in principle. I'm just not that dedicated to free specch on this issue.

[trumbull desi]

08:37 AM on 06/29/2011

Ya know ... we're all entitled to our opinions and express them freely. Having said that, as a business person why would you openly antagonize anybody who would be willing to plunk down hard earned dollars for your product? It just doesn't make sense.

No Brown Coffee Company lattes for me.