In the midst of pride month, Starbucks is instructing all locations to remove pride decorations, according to a statement from the coffeehouse’s largest workers union.
Starbucks Workers United took to Twitter this morning to outline the details regarding Starbucks’ decision to remove pride decorations from their stores. According to the union, Starbucks workers have been sharing on social media over the last two weeks that the company is no longer allowing Pride decorations in their stores.
“For the last two weeks, Starbucks workers have taken to social media to report that the company is no longer allowing Pride decorations in-store. This seems to be the first year the publicly “pro-LGBTQ+” company has taken this kind of stance. Taking a cue from Target, who bowed to anti-LGBTQ+ pressure and removed pride merchandise, corporate and district management are taking down the pride decorations that have become an annual tradition in stores.”
Starbucks Workers United via Twitter
Starbucks has yet to comment on the exact reason for this policy change, but employees have stated varying reasons on social media. According to The Daily Beast, workers in Oklahoma were told that it was a “safety issue,” employees in Massachusetts were told it was because they “didn’t have any labor hours to decorate,” and workers in Wisconsin said it was because the decorations weren’t “welcoming for everyone.”
Historically, Starbucks has been one of the most pro-LGBTQ+ corporations in the country. In 2008, the company filed an amicus brief against the Supreme Court to challenge the Defense of Marriage Act. Several years after, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz came out in support of legalizing gay marriage, a move many believed would hurt the company financially. In 2018, Starbucks broadened its health insurance plans to include gender reassignment surgery for transgender employees.
But it appears that this long history of pro-LGBTQ+ stances does not matter to the left. Starbucks Workers United are now accusing the company of “turning their back” on the LGBTQ+ community.
“If Starbucks was a true ally, they would stand up for us, especially during a time when LGBTQ+ people are under attack. A company that cares wouldn’t turn their back on the LGBTQ+ community to protect their already astronomically high profits.”
Starbucks Workers United via Twitter
The decision to remove Pride decorations from Starbucks locations comes in the middle of the biggest pushback towards LGBTQ+ values our country has seen. Whether it be Target, Bud Light, Disney, or Kohl’s, Americans with traditional values are ready to boycott corporations that promote radical gender ideology. As these boycotts continue many corporations, even those with a long history of pro-LGBT values, are reevaluating how involved they are in promoting LGBT narratives.
