Gay Coffee Shop Owner Blasts Anti-Abortion Activists In Viral Video

"I know Christians, and they don’t confront people in the street, or in a place of business," Bedlam Coffee co-owner Ben Borgman said.  (Photo: Ben Borgman)
"I know Christians, and they don’t confront people in the street, or in a place of business," Bedlam Coffee co-owner Ben Borgman said.  (Photo: Ben Borgman)

The openly gay co-owner of a Seattle coffee shop is feeling the heat after a video of him asking a group of anti-abortion activists to leave his establishment surfaced last week.

Ben Borgman, who co-owns Bedlam Coffee in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood, got into an argument with members of Abolish Human Abortion when he asked the group to take their business elsewhere. A video of the altercation was posted to Abolish Human Abortion’s Facebook page with the caption, “Angry homosexual kicks Christian customers out of coffee shop.”

Prior to their coffee shop visit, Abolish Human Abortion members had reportedly been distributing anti-abortion leaflets with an anti-LGBTQ message around the city. One of the leaflets, which can be viewed here and here, showed an image of an aborted fetus lying beneath a pair of rainbow-colored hands dripping with blood.

“We are a prideful culture full of hatred, bigotry, intolerance and oppression,” the brochure read. “All our talk about loving and accepting people for who they are is nothing but self-serving hypocrisy ― a flimsy, transparent lie.”

“Some say God is hateful, but God is merciful,” it continued. “Yet God still hates sin.”

In the video, Borgman can be seen holding one of the leaflets. “This is offensive to me. I own the place,” he can be heard saying in the video, before asking the group to leave the shop. When one of the group’s members asks Borgman why he’s not willing to “tolerate our presence,” he responds, “If I go get my boyfriend and f*ck him in the a** right here... are you going to tolerate it?”

Bedlam Coffee is located in Seattle's Belltown neighborhood.  (Photo: Bedlam Coffee)
Bedlam Coffee is located in Seattle's Belltown neighborhood.  (Photo: Bedlam Coffee)

Out Magazine, The Stranger and LGBTQ Nation are among the many outlets to have posted about the video, which has been viewed over 660,000 times since it was uploaded last week. Conservative sites like The Blaze and The Washington Times have published their own takes, too. (Warning: the video contains graphic language.)

Later, one member of the group tells Borgman that Jesus Christ can “save him” from that lifestyle. “I’m not going to be saved by anything,” he fires back. “I’d f*ck Christ in the a**, OK? He’s hot!”

Borgman, who has co-owned and operated Bedlam Coffee for eight years, told HuffPost he politely asked the Abolish Human Abortion members to leave before the discussion became heated.

“I know Christians, and they don’t confront people in the street, or in a place of business,” he said. “They certainly don’t print out a bunch of hate messages and fold them up like pretty butterflies and leave them in parks for kids to find. There’s the crime in this story ― what did that cost Seattle to clean up, I wonder?”

Meanwhile, he’s dismissed the accusation that he and his company were discriminating against Christians when he asked the activists to leave the shop.

“We have religious organizations that meet here regularly,” he said. “These people were not thrown out for being Christian. I’ve been so clear about that. This removal was very focused on this group, or any group like them.”

He continued, “They were put out because they print ugly crap and hand it out in my town, period. I would have thrown out a group that tried to print ugly crap about Christians, too. Trying to stir up hate and discontent is not how to fix things.”

One of the activists, Caytie Davis, said the pamphlet was one that the group had been handing out elsewhere in the city, but stressed that “none of us had dropped anything in the store.”

“We had nothing on us, we weren’t distributing anything,” she told The Liberator. “They had good coffee. It’s just too bad the service sucked.”

Ultimately, Davis hopes Borgman and his colleagues will “continue to think about the literature, and it convicts them to the point of repentance.”

Borgman, on the other hand, won’t apologize for his remarks.

“Nothing gets erased by apologies, just words. My words are out there, on video... I have to stand by them, they’re mine,” he told HuffPost. “[I hope that people] take away that we don’t hate Christians, we don’t even hate anti-abortionists. It’s these groups that picket funerals, and blow up clinics, and paint swastikas. These are the groups who can’t meet here.”

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Apple

Not only is Tim Cook, the tech company's CEO, an <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/30/tim-cook-gay_n_6074016.html">out and proud gay man</a>, Apple has long had a record of supporting the queer community.<br /><br />In 2014, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/08/apple-pride-2014_n_5567439.html">thousands of Apple employees celebrated Pride</a> and the company released a statement in support of the Supreme Court's 2013 decision regarding marriage equality <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/26/companies-support-gay-marriage_n_3503981.html">saying</a>, "Apple strongly supports marriage equality and we consider it a civil rights issue. We applaud the Supreme Court for its decisions today."

Doritos

Doritos released a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/doritos-it-gets-better_55faedf1e4b08820d917b055">special limited edition rainbow-colored version of its beloved chips</a> in September 2015 to celebrate the five-year anniversary of the It Gets Better project.Sadly, the brand's bold and beautiful move <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/rainbow-doritos-freak-out_56016a5ae4b00310edf88b7a">drew anger and calls for a boycott</a> from some consumers.

Starbucks

Starbucks has a long history of support for and solidarity with the LGBT community.&nbsp;Not only did the organization <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/23/starbucks-gay-pride-flag-_n_5523333.html" target="_hplink">raise a Pride flag</a> over its Seattle headquarters in 2014, but the company's CEO famously <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/22/starbucks-gay-marriage-howard-schultz_n_2931734.html" target="_hplink">told an anti-gay shareholder</a> that he was free to "sell [his] shares of Starbucks and buy shares in another company" if he had a problem with the company's pro-gay values. The company also <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/30/drag-race-starbucks_n_6076330.html" target="_blank">released its first LGBT commercial in 2014</a> featuring drag queens Bianca Del Rio and Adore Delano.<br /><br />In November 2015 the coffee chain&nbsp;partnered with the Seattle Police Department&rsquo;s <a href="http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/crime/gay-cop-creates-safe-place-on-capitol-hill/">(SPD) Safe Place program</a>, an initiative that<a href="http://www.newnownext.com/starbucks-fights-hate-crime-violence-by-turning-97-seattle-locations-into-lgbt-safe-havens/11/2015/?xrs=synd_twitter_logo" target="_blank"> reportedly</a> aims to train 2,000 Starbucks employees on how to respond to and engage with LGBT victims of violence and effectively report hate crimes to police.

American Apparel

In 2009, <a href="http://www.americanapparel.net/" target="_hplink">American Apparel</a> put its "Legalize Gay" t-shirt in storefront windows in Washinton, D.C. When a group of <a href="http://news.change.org/stories/american-apparel-pushes-back-against-anti-lgbt-vandalism" target="_hplink">anti-LGBT vandals broke the store's windows</a>, the company didn't back down, but rather agreed to send shirts to any group in D.C. that was fighting for gay rights.<br /><br />The company also released a line of <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/22/american-apparel-lgbt-pride-shirt-_n_3483531.html">LGBT t-shirts in 2013</a> in cooperation with GLAAD and has featured queer models -- including <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/26/american-apparel-transgender-models_n_3817396.html">transgender models</a> -- on numerous occasions.

Levi's

In 2011, Levi's found itself at odds with the Boy Scout's 'Three Gs' principle that had guided the Scouts' membership model for more than 80 years -- that everyone is welcome, provided they are not gay, godless, or a girl. The San Francisco-based denim company&nbsp;<a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/boy-scouts-battle-on-antigay-policy-levis-the-denim-firm-has-withdrawn-its-sponsorship-over-the-movements-refusal-to-accept-homosexuals-writes-david-usborne-in-washington-1550450.html" target="_hplink">pulled its Boy Scout funding</a>, due to the group's exclusionary practice at the time.&nbsp;<br /><br /><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/14/levis-gay-pride-line-_n_5493060.html">In 2014 the company launched</a> a line of Pride-themed t-shirts and hats to support the community.

Oreo

In June 2012, Oreo posted a photo of a rainbow sextuple-stacked cookie to its <a href="https://www.facebook.com/oreo" target="_hplink">Facebook</a> page in honor of Pride month. While the responses were mostly positive, some commenters were outraged, even calling for a <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/oreo-sees-support-backlash-boycott-gay-pride-rainbow-cookie-article-1.1103369" target="_hplink">boycott</a> of the product. Still, Basil Maglaris, Kraft's associate director of corporate affairs, <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/breaking/chi-krafts-gay-pride-oreo-draws-20000-comments-some-flak-20120627,0,490983.story" target="_hplink">said</a> that the positive comments on the post "far outweighed" the negative ones.

Home Depot

A May 2012 <a href="http://action.afa.net/Detail.aspx?id=2147521725" target="_hplink">post</a> on the American Family Association web site proclaims, "AFA is promoting a boycott of Home Depot until it agrees to remain neutral in the homosexual culture war. The total number of people who have signed the Home Depot boycott pledge is 719,037." The <a href="http://action.afa.net/item.aspx?id=2147496231" target="_hplink">pledge</a> condemned Home Depot for giving "financial and corporate support to open displays of homosexual activism," because this helps expose "small children to lascivious displays of sexual conduct by homosexuals and cross-dressers." In response to the <a href="http://action.afa.net/item.aspx?id=2147496231" target="_hplink">pledge</a>, which was delivered at Home Depot's annual shareholder meeting, Chairman Blake <a href="http://action.afa.net/Detail.aspx?id=2147521725" target="_hplink">responded</a>, "We are, and will remain, committed to a culture that fosters an inclusive environment for our associates, our customers and communities in which we exist."

Target

Target, which came under fire&nbsp;in 2013 for reportedly <a href="http://www.advocate.com/politics/politicians/2013/07/25/target-accused-indirectly-funding-antigay-candidate" target="_hplink">making a donation to an organization</a> that supported an anti-gay Republican gubernatorial candidate in Virginia, has made great strides toward inclusivity in recent years. <br /><br />The company signed <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/06/target-gay-marriage-stance-_n_5654924.html" target="_hplink">an amicus brief in support of marriage equality</a>, while a commercial for their "Made to Matter" product line featured <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/17/target-same-sex-couple-ad_n_5831862.html" target="_hplink">two gay men painting with a child</a>.<br /><br />In 2015,&nbsp;Target <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/09/target-take-pride-campaign_n_7545624.html">rang&nbsp;in Pride month</a>&nbsp;in a very big way, introducing <a href="http://www.target.com/c/pride-ways-to-shop/-/N-5589f" target="_hplink">a rainbow-themed clothing and accessories line</a> as well as an inclusive ad campaign.

Ben & Jerry's

<a href="http://www.benjerry.com/values/issues-we-care-about/marriage-equality/i-dough-i-dough" target="_hplink">Ben &amp; Jerry's renamed</a> its iconic "Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough" ice cream flavor to "I Dough, I Dough," in celebration of the historic <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/26/supreme-court-gay-marriage_n_7470036.html" target="_hplink">Supreme Court decision to legalize gay marriage nationwide</a>&nbsp;in June 2015.<br /><br />&ldquo;<a href="http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150626005478/en#.VY1r7u1Vikp" target="_hplink">Ben &amp; Jerry&rsquo;s is proud of the Supreme Court&rsquo;s landmark decision against discrimination</a> as it boldly stands up for equality for same sex couples everywhere,&rdquo; Jostein Solheim, the CEO of Ben &amp; Jerry&rsquo;s, said in a press release.

Nike

Nike got&nbsp;into the LGBT Pride Month spirit in 2013 a very big way -- with the expansion of its all-new, <a href="http://store.nike.com/us/en_us/pw/betrue-collection/cfp" target="_hplink">gay-friendly shoe and clothing line</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.esquire.com/blogs/mens-fashion/nike-betrue-collection-061213?click=news&amp;src=spr_TWITTER&amp;spr_id=1456_9428257" target="_hplink">According to Esquire</a>, profits from the sale of the athletic giant's rainbow-hued #BeTrue collection will be donated to the LGBT Sports Coalition.<br /><br />In 2012, the company launched the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.outsports.com/2013/6/5/4396900/nike-lgbt-sports-summit-portland" target="_hplink">Nike LGBT Sports Summit </a>in Portland, Oregon. The event, founded by Outsports' Cyd Zeigler, the National Center for Lesbian Rights Sports Project Director Helen Carroll and LGBT sports pioneer Pat Griffin, included college and professional athletes, coaches, athletic administrators, political figures, LGBT advocates, journalists and more.

Chobani

The yogurt company debuted a stunning -- and sexy -- <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/chobani-debuts-stunning-and-sexy-lesbian-themed-commercial_557a0751e4b054f2de28f971">lesbian-themed ad in June 2015.</a><br /><br />The inclusive message of the ad, a Chobani spokeperson told The Huffington Post via email, is in line with the company's longtime support of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.&nbsp;"As part of our founding mission to make better food for more people, inclusiveness is at the heart of Chobani," the spokesperson added.&nbsp;"We&rsquo;re proud that our products are enjoyed by all and we celebrate that diversity whenever -- and however -- we can."

J.C. Penney

J.C. Penney has shown support for the LGBT community over the years, but that support hasn't come without controversy. <br /><br />Aside from One Million Mom's <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/01/ellen-degeneres-jc-penney_n_1247657.html" target="_hplink">infamous boycott</a> of the department store for choosing Ellen DeGeneres as its spokesperson, J.C. Penney also came under fire in June 2012 when its <a href="http://calendar.jcpenney.com/june/#!book/thebook/16" target="_hplink">catalog</a> featured two men on the floor playing and hugging their two children at home indicating, <a href="http://www.afa.net/Detail.aspx?id=2147522587" target="_hplink">according</a> to the American Family Association, that the company made a "departure from its moorings to God's Word and Mr. Penney's leadership by taking sides in the cultural war in celebration of homosexuality."

Sabra Hummus

Sabra Hummus made <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/21/sabra-hummus-gay-couple_n_7363098.html">an awesome display of support</a> for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community by including a real-life gay couple in their advertising campaign in May 2015.

Gap

In March 2015, Gap and Levi's issued a joint <a href="http://levistrauss.com/unzipped-blog/2015/03/raising-our-voices-against-discrimination/" target="_hplink">statement</a>&nbsp;denouncing an Indiana <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/26/salesforce-cancels-indiana-events_n_6950398.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000015" target="_hplink">law</a>&nbsp;which could protect business owners who refuse service to LGBT customers, and a similar bill approved by the Arkansas Senate.<br /><br />In June 2015 thirteen Gap employees shared their coming out stories in a powerful video for&nbsp;<a href="http://www.glaad.org/gotyourback" target="_hplink">GLAAD's #GotYourBack campaign</a>.&nbsp;<br /><br />The video was the latest installment in the ongoing GLAAD effort, which aims to encourage allies to speak out in support of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community throughout Pride Month.Paul Tew of Gap Inc.'s GEAR (<a href="http://www.gapinc.com/content/csr/html/employees/diversity-and-inclusion.html" target="_hplink">Gay Employees, Allies and Resources</a>) said the project was in line with his corporation's belief that "lifting voices out of isolation -- and vocalizing support -- is a critical step in achieving equality."

Kohl's

The department store launched <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/kohls-gay-commercial_564b945fe4b06037734b7718">a new ad in November 2015 that featured&nbsp;a same-sex couple</a>.<br />Part of Kohl's <a href="https://twitter.com/Kohls/status/665654197405093888" target="_blank">#AllTogetherNow</a> campaign, the ad shows a diverse family preparing a holiday meal together in a bustling kitchen. As they sit down to dinner, a handsome gay couple shares a toast that, from the looks of it, might be celebrating an engagement.&nbsp;

Adidas

Three Adidas staples -- <a href="http://news.adidas.com/US/Latest-News/adidas-Originals-Introduces--Pride-Pack/s/eaac1209-50ed-4fd4-ac46-7e6d7ef4fea3" target="_hplink">the Stan Smith, the Adilette Slide and the Superstar</a> -- got a&nbsp;limited edition makeover as part of the company's "Pride Pack" in 2015. <br /><br />Each of the designs draws inspiration from the LGBT rainbow flag, "a symbol of equality and inclusiveness that signifies the diversity of the LGBT community," according to press materials.<br /><br />A <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/02/adidas-gay-pride-sneakers_n_7495112.html">portion of the sales</a> was donated to Portland's <a href="http://www.newavenues.org/" target="_hplink">New Avenues for Youth</a>, an Oregon-based advocacy group focused on homeless lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) adolescents and teens.

Tiffany & Co.

In 2015 Tiffany&nbsp;<a href="http://www.refinery29.com/2015/01/80529/same-sex-tiffany-ad" target="_hplink">featured a gay couple</a> for the <a href="http://time.com/3662480/tiffany-ad-same-sex/" target="_hplink">first time</a> in an ad.<br /><br />Tiffany rep Linda Buckley told <a href="http://www.elle.com/fashion/news/a25383/tiffany-co-same-sex-couple-campaign/" target="_hplink">ELLE in a statement</a> that love stories come "in a variety of forms." "The Tiffany engagement ring is the first sentence of the story that a couple will write together as they create a life that is deeply intimate and exceptional."

Nordstrom

"It is our belief that our gay and lesbian employees are entitled to the same rights and protections marriage provides under the law as our other employees," Nordstrom officials <a href="http://washingtonunitedformarriage.org/nordstrom-supports-freedom-to-marry-washington-united-campaign-to-approve-referendum-74/" target="_hplink">said in a 2012 statement</a>. "We also believe supporting freedom to marry will help us create a more attractive and inclusive workplace for our current and prospective employees."<br /><br />The company also released an ad in 2013 called&nbsp;"<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&amp;v=luBAETM4HJw" target="_hplink">The Ultimate Wedding Party</a>," which featured&nbsp;pairs of heterosexual and same-sex couples reveling at a large-scale reception.

Coca Cola

In <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/10/coca-cola-happiness-ad_n_7493530.html">June 2015 an ad</a> from the beverage giant depicted&nbsp;what appeared to be a queer family with the phrase "'We choose happiness over tradition.' - the Van Bergen family."<br /><br />&ldquo;The Coca-Cola Company values and celebrates diversity," a representative from The Coca-Cola Company told The Huffington Post. "This ad was developed as part of our Choose Happiness campaign, launched in North West Europe in May. The campaign encourages us all to spread happiness, while fostering unity, diversity and respect.&rdquo;<br /><br />Coca-Cola previously showed support for the LGBT community through their advertising, including <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/03/coca-cola-gay-dads-commercial_n_4716931.html" target="_hplink">a Superbowl commercial in 2014</a> that featured two gay dads.

Tylenol

Gay and lesbian couples feature prominently in Tylenol's <a href="http://howwefamily.com/" target="_hplink">#HowWeFamily campaign</a>, launched in June 2015, which aims to celebrate the diversity of modern families.<br /><br />Manoj Raghunandanan, Senior Director of Marketing for Johnson and Johnson's McNeil Consumer Healthcare, told Advertising Age that the ad was representative of his company's commitment to celebrating how "<a href="http://adage.com/article/see-the-spot/j-j-s-tylenol-delves-deeper-changing-american-family/298981/" target="_hplink">families look and feel different [now] than they did before</a>."

Hallmark

As part of an ongoing <a href="http://www.putyourhearttopaper.com/" target="_hplink">social media campaign</a>, Hallmark launched a "social experiment" in which participants were asked to talk about their loved ones on camera without using the expressions "I love you" and "thank you.<br /><br />The 2015 Valentine's Day installment of "Put Your Heart to Paper" featured&nbsp;a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/30/hallmark-lesbian-couple-campaign-_n_6581470.html" target="_hplink">same-sex couple</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRKBYUHyyoSrM2RCRwy69OcyUpr-cZZSQ." target="_hplink">Mother's Day version of the campaign</a> included Alex, who identifies as transgender, recounting his touching relationship with his mom, Pam, whom he describes as "the strongest, most wonderful person I know."

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.