News/Commentary

‘Republicans over gays?!’ Leftists lose it when Starbucks union says chain is banning all Pride décor

June 13, 2023 | | Print Article

Starbucks Workers United claimed on Tuesday that the coffee drink giant is banning all Pride decorations in its stores across the nation during Pride Month and, in fact, started doing so two weeks ago.

Leftist media outlets such as The New Republic are outraged and are charging that Starbucks caved to far-right anti-LGBTQ fury.

The purported move comes after boycotts of Target and Bud Light over ad campaigns and merchandise that promote a transgender-friendly ideology. Other retail outlets are also feeling the heat as are performers such as Garth Brooks who is standing firm on serving Bud-Light in his new Nashville bar, calling those who don’t agree a**holes and telling them they can go somewhere else.

“BREAKING: In the middle of Pride Month, Starbucks BANS Pride decorations in stores across the United States,” the Starbucks workers’ union tweeted.

So far, there is no word from Starbucks confirming the banning of Pride decorations in its stores. But the union is standing firm on its claim.

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According to the Daily Beast, “Starbucks has instructed workers in at least twenty-one states to remove Pride flags and decorations from stores, in a move that has enraged workers, according to the union Starbucks Workers United (SBWU). Baristas at stores have reported being told to remove Pride paraphernalia, Casey Moore, a spokesperson for SBWU told The Daily Beast.”

The media outlet continued to report, “Workers in Oklahoma were told ‘it was a safety issue related to the recent attacks on Target,’ Moore said, while in Massachusetts, workers were told ‘they didn’t have any labor hours to decorate for Pride.’ Starbucks workers at a store in Madison, Wisconsin posted on Instagram yesterday that their district manager had torn down their Pride decorations because they weren’t ‘welcoming for everyone.’ Starbucks did not respond to a request for comment from The Daily Beast.”

If the move is true, it would be a shock as Starbucks has always adopted a pro-LGBTQ stance. This year, the chain partnered with artist Tim Singleton to design a series of special multi-colored Pride-themed tumblers. But according to the union, the company has decided that all Pride decorations must come down in all stores, even the unionized ones.

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The union is claiming that this isn’t the first time that Starbucks has failed to stand up for the LGBTQ community. That includes its own employees.

The union is also leveling the charge that in October, some trans-Starbucks workers had their health benefit plan changed, forcing them to pay out of pocket for certain treatments. They also allegedly lost access to certain providers.

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Right on cue, the meltdown from the left arrived:

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But others cheered it:

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