Open Letter to the Owner of Cathedral Coffee
Austen Tanner, Owner, Cathedral Coffee
Neutrality in the face of injustice is never truly neutral — it’s a choice. When Cathedral Coffee removed Pride symbols and silenced employees who spoke up, it sent a message loud and clear: LGBTQ+ people and their allies are not welcome unless they remain invisible.
This matters because visibility is safety. Pride flags are more than decorations — they are symbols of solidarity, care, and belonging. Removing them in the name of “neutrality,” then firing those who objected and demanding silence through NDAs, is a harmful act that perpetuates exclusion.
We believe businesses that operate in community spaces must reflect the values of that community — values like equity, dignity, and safety for all. When a beloved neighborhood spot turns its back on those ideals, it betrays the trust and love that helped it thrive.
This petition is our act of collective accountability. We are calling on Cathedral Coffee to reflect, listen, and change — because silence supports oppression, and our community deserves better.
A note from the organizer, Michelle Lasley
When you sign this letter, I will collect your name and add it to the letter. I am collecting email addresses solely to verify your signature. I will not add you to my email list — or any email list.
At the end of the 10-day collection period, I will send the final letter — including all signatories — to Austen and the business address listed on Cathedral Coffee’s website.
Petition by
Sponsored by
To:
Austen Tanner, Owner, Cathedral Coffee
From:
[Your Name]
We are disappointed.
We met with the staff. We engaged with community members. And then, we saw the news.
We see the truth — and we can no longer stay silent. So we’re taking our business elsewhere.
You have been a pillar of our communities for many years, serving great coffee, providing jobs for local students and people, and offering generous portions of baked goodness — but that foundation has cracked.
Everyone in our community belongs: Black, Brown, Transgender, Genderqueer, Gay, and more.
Learning that you threw away symbols of pride because it’s against your “longstanding neutral-space policy” makes it clear how disconnected you are from the people you serve. When you remain neutral, in moments like these, it is not harmless — it’s harmful.
We know that when people tell us who they are, we must believe them.
We’re moving our money to values-aligned businesses that uplift our community — not erase it. There is too much hate in this world. We refuse to fund businesses that enable hate — and neutrality enables hate.
We hope you reflect, listen, and change.
Sincerely,
The Community