News Round-Up: July 6, 2018

(image via Instagram)

Some news stories you might have missed:

• InstaHunk Alex Abramov says, "The category is: Live. Work. Pose."

• The New York Yankees are the only Major League Baseball team to not hold a Pride night this year.

• A barista at Starbucks has been fired for mocking a man who stutters. After stuttering on his name during his order, the barista replied, ‘Okay, S-s-s-sam.’ When he received his coffee, his name on the cup was written as ‘SSSAM.'

• Twitter is deleting over a million fake accounts a day - double the rate from last October.

• Scarlett Johansson cast herself in the role of a transgender man in the upcoming film, Rub & Tug, and folks are not happy about it.

• I've been meaning to post this really heartwarming viral video of four fathers attending Pride for the first time with their LGBTQ children.

Produced as an ad spot for Dublin Bus, its really beautiful seeing the kids faces upon hearing their dads were heading to Pride with them on a rainbow-colored bus. Watch the short spot below.

Starbucks Expands Transgender Employees' Healthcare Coverage

(image via Flickr/Yukiko Matsuoka)

Since 2012, employee healthcare plans for coffee company Starbucks has covered gender reassignment surgery for its transgender employees.

But now, the coffee giant has announced expanded coverage for trans employees including breast augmentation, breast reduction, facial feminization and hair transplants.

In exploring new options for trans employees, the coffee purveyor consulted with the World Professional Association for Transgender Health. Starbucks was the first company in the world to ask WPATH to help translate their recommended standards of care into a medical benefits policy, said Jamison Green, the immediate past president of WPATH, who worked with the company on the benefits package.

“Starbucks was not afraid to ask all the right questions and demand that people get the best possible care,” said Green. “We produced a list of the most crucial benefits and those that are deemed problematic to insurance companies, such as facial feminization and electrolysis.”

Many of the new procedures now available to Starbucks employees were considered ‘cosmetic’ by most insurance companies and therefore not covered. But for trans people, these are essential to trans people in their journey to be who they are.

Tate Buhrmester, 15 year employee of Starbucks, manages a store in Austin, Texas.

A 2014 report from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the Williams Institute found that 41 percent of the 6,500 transgender adults who responded to the National Transgender Discrimination Survey had attempted suicide at some point, compared to the 4.6 percent of the overall population.

One reason for the high percentage of suicide attempts may be “due to distress related to barriers to obtaining transition-related health care, such as a lack of insurance coverage, inability to afford those procedures, or lack of access to providers,” the report authors wrote.

With suicide rates much higher for transgender people compared to the general population (4.6% versus 41%), having access to these procedures can literally be life-saving.

Plus, trans people can often have trouble finding trans-friendly healthcare providers. To address those barriers, Starbucks has advocates trained to work with trans employees to help them navigate the healthcare systems, find the proper providers and help in making sure claims are covered.

Read more about Starbucks’ announcement here.

News Round-Up: May 13, 2018

Some news stories you might have missed:

• A mother who is "against people being gay" wrote to Dear Abby saying her 43-year-old daughter just came out as lesbian. Abby knew just how to handle this one...

• A Texas teacher was accused of "promoting a homosexual agenda" when she showed students a picture of herself and her wife dressed up as Disney characters on the first day of school.

• Starbucks has now adopted an open-bathroom policy following an incident in Philadelphia last month were two black men were arrested while waiting for a business colleague.

• An Oregon school allegedly forced an LGBT student to read the Bible as punishment...?

• GLEE star Kevin McHale says of his recent coming out: "I think there was zero surprise. People knew."

• The Trump administration continues its attack on the trans community by rolling back prison protections.

Starbucks To Close 8,000 Stores For "Racial-Bias Education"

The CEO of Starbucks announced today that all 8,000 stores in the company will close on May 29 to conduct "racial-bias education" seminars for its employees.

Starbucks Coffee Company (NASDAQ: SBUX) today announced it will be closing its more than 8,000 company-owned stores in the United States on the afternoon of May 29 to conduct racial-bias education geared toward preventing discrimination in our stores. The training will be provided to nearly 175,000 partners (employees) across the country, and will become part of the onboarding process for new partners.

“I’ve spent the last few days in Philadelphia with my leadership team listening to the community, learning what we did wrong and the steps we need to take to fix it,” said Starbucks ceo Kevin Johnson. “While this is not limited to Starbucks, we’re committed to being a part of the solution. Closing our stores for racial bias training is just one step in a journey that requires dedication from every level of our company and partnerships in our local communities.”

This comes after two black men were arrested in Philadelphia just days ago for waiting for a friend in a Starbucks before ordering their drinks.

Just yesterday, I reported on another incident where a black man was refused the digital code to access the men's room but a white man was allowed to use those same facilities. Neither man had made a purchase yet.

In the clip below from MSNBC, I think Jason Johnson has a point in wondering how an afternoon of Human Resources training will combat lifetimes of employees' own beliefs and reactions about race relations.

As Johnson says, just about everyone knows the commonsense way to treat people fairly. Whether they do it or not is primarily a choice they make.

JUST IN: Starbucks CEO announces company will temporarily close all stores in US on May 29 "to conduct racial-bias education geared toward preventing discrimination in our stores."

The move follows arrest of 2 black men at a Philadelphia store. https://t.co/3L45ZzqROl pic.twitter.com/BU9oMLZn9F

— MSNBC (@MSNBC) April 17, 2018

More @Starbucks Issues: Bathroom Inequality In Action

(Image via screen cap)

More racial issues for Starbucks today as another black Starbucks customer was denied use of a bathroom before he made his purchase.

Brandon Ward requested to use the bathroom before he made his purchase today at the Starbucks located in Los Angeles at the corner of Artesia and Hawthorne, but was denied the code.

But soon after that exchange, a white male - who had not made a purchase yet - was given the bathroom code.

Another one of those things that make you go, "Hmm..."

From Shaun King:

Meet Brandon Ward. He was Starbucks - about to make a purchase - and needed to use the restroom.

They denied him the code.

He then finds a white man, Weston, who came out of the restroom.

He had not made a purchase but they gave HIM the code.

RACISM.

The store manager at the counter didn't like her picking and choosing of bathroom attendees made public. And I have to point out the store manager's woeful lack of skill in handling the situation.

What would have been wrong with apologizing instead of escalating the situation? Is that what Starbucks teaches store managers to do?

I don't want to blame Starbucks as an entire corporation but for this to occur today after the arrest of two black men at a Philadelphia Starbucks that received terrible national attention, it's hard to believe some company-wide email didn't go out immediately about handling such incidents.

Why are black men being singled out to be ejected from Starbucks restaurants while, as this video shows, white men are allowed use of the premises without a purchase?

Watch below.

Here we go again.

Meet Brandon Ward. He was @Starbucks - about to make a purchase - and needed to use the restroom.

They denied him the code.

He then finds a white man, Weston, who came out of the restroom.

He had not made a purchase but they gave HIM the code.

RACISM. pic.twitter.com/2UGZ20aOtF

— Shaun King (@ShaunKing) April 16, 2018

Starbucks Apologizes After Two Black Men Arrested/Released With No Charges Filed

Six police officers arrest two men at a Philadelphia Starbucks
for asking to use the restroom

The arrest of two black men in a Philadelphia Starbucks has gained national attention as cellphone video footage has gone viral showing six officers handcuffing the men whose only crime seems to have been asking to use the bathroom while waiting for a friend.

According to reports a white female manager called the police.

A chagrined Starbucks CEO has now issued an apology to the men saying company training "led to a bad outcome."

From the Washington Post:

In a statement to Starbucks customers and employees Saturday, CEO Kevin Johnson acknowledged “a disheartening situation in one of our Philadelphia-area stores this past Thursday, that led to a reprehensible outcome.”

Cellphone videos captured the tense moment Thursday afternoon when at least six Philadelphia Police Department officers stood over two seated black men, asking them to leave. A man named Andrew Yaffe arrives to tell police that the two men were waiting for him. The officer says that they were not complying and were being arrested for trespassing.

Lauren Wimmer, the attorney for the two men, told The Washington Post that her clients told a Starbucks employee that they were waiting for Yaffe. Shortly after, a white female employee called the police, Wimmer said.

The two men, whom she declined to identify, were taken to a police station, fingerprinted and photographed. One officer suggested that they faced charges for “defiant trespassing,” Wimmer said. They were held for nearly nine hours before they were released, she said, after prosecutors said they would not pursue charges.

Benjamin Waxman, a spokesman for Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, said the office decided that there “wasn’t sufficient evidence to charge [the men] with a crime.”

In his statement, Johnson said the video was hard to watch and that he hopes to meet the two men to offer “a face-to-face” apology, adding that the company’s practices and training “led to a bad outcome — the basis for the call to the Philadelphia police department was wrong.”

“Our store manager never intended for these men to be arrested and this should never have escalated as it did,” Johnson said.

An official at Starbucks told the WaPo that there is no official company-wide policy on asking member of the public to leave. Apparently store managers are left to make such decisions.

Why this store manager decided to let this incident escalate to such a degree is not clear.

The official went on to say the handling of this matter was not how most store managers would have handled the situation.

As a white male, I've spent hours and hours in Starbucks all over the world. I've never been asked to leave.

@Starbucks The police were called because these men hadn’t ordered anything. They were waiting for a friend to show up, who did as they were taken out in handcuffs for doing nothing. All the other white ppl are wondering why it’s never happened to us when we do the same thing. pic.twitter.com/0U4Pzs55Ci

— Melissa DePino (@missydepino) April 12, 2018

From Kevin Johnson, CEO of Starbucks:

First, to once again express our deepest apologies to the two men who were arrested with a goal of doing whatever we can to make things right. Second, to let you know of our plans to investigate the pertinent facts and make any necessary changes to our practices that would help prevent such an occurrence from ever happening again. And third, to reassure you that Starbucks stands firmly against discrimination or racial profiling.

In the coming days, I will be joining our regional vice president, Camille Hymes—who is on the ground in Philadelphia—to speak with partners, customers and community leaders as well as law enforcement. Most importantly, I hope to meet personally with the two men who were arrested to offer a face-to-face apology.

We have immediately begun a thorough investigation of our practices. In addition to our own review, we will work with outside experts and community leaders to understand and adopt best practices. The video shot by customers is very hard to watch and the actions in it are not representative of our Starbucks Mission and Values.

Creating an environment that is both safe and welcoming for everyone is paramount for every store. Regretfully, our practices and training led to a bad outcome—the basis for the call to the Philadelphia police department was wrong. Our store manager never intended for these men to be arrested and this should never have escalated as it did.

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney issued a statement which read, in part:

“I am heartbroken to see Philadelphia in the headlines for an incident that — at least based on what we know at this point — appears to exemplify what racial discrimination looks like in 2018. For many, Starbucks is not just a place to buy a cup of coffee, but a place to meet up with friends or family members, or to get some work done. Like all retail establishments in our city, Starbucks should be a place where everyone is treated the same, no matter the color of their skin.

Most interesting line from @Starbucks CEO "Our store manager never intended for these men to be arrested..". Would be interesting to hear what he/she thought would happen once police were called on 2 black men. https://t.co/YkUuykIK46

— Soledad O'Brien (@soledadobrien) April 15, 2018

Note to Starbucks CEO: I spend $10+ on my Grande Frap and select sandwich almost daily and I find it hard to find a seat sometimes because of people on their mac books for hours using free WiFi not buying anything and I don't see them arrested. Can you guess race?

— RobNADR Music™ (@ElyteFaeva) April 15, 2018

Same-Sex Couple Gets Cozy In The Cold In New Starbucks Campaign

This year's holiday campaign from Starbucks is all about inclusivity.

And that's why in the launch video below, titled "Giving Good Starts with You," you'll see a mixed-race couple holding hands, a father and daughter decorating a tree, a young girl sharing a holiday drawing with her grandmother via internet, and a lesbian couple enjoying a hot cup of coffee in the holiday season.

The video is reminiscent of this year's holiday cups which feature doodles of gifts, ribbons, and a pair of hands holding red coffee cups.

Leanne Fremar, executive creative director for Starbucks, says the cups were "designed to encourage our customers to add their own color and illustrations. We love the idea of everyone making this year’s cup their own.”

The "Give Good" campaign is about the many ways we can help or recognize others' contributions to our lives.

“Giving good can be as small as someone opening the door for you, or recognizing the people that enrich your life—your child’s teacher, a caregiver, a family friend,” says Fremar. “The holidays are a time to celebrate all the good we give to each other and our community.”

Watch the video below.

Major Companies Urge SCOTUS To Take Up LGBT Workplace Discrimination Case

Major American corporations have signed on to an amicus brief filed in the U.S. Supreme Court urging the high court to rule that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 bars discrimination based on sexual orientation in the workplace.

The Trump administration has taken the opposite opinion.

From the AP:

The 76 businesses and organizations - including American Airlines, Apple, eBay, Facebook, Google, Starbucks and Microsoft - filed a brief Wednesday encouraging the high court to take up the issue. They want the court to take a case out of Georgia in which a gay woman who worked as a hospital security officer says she was harassed and punished for dressing in a male uniform and wearing her hair short. Jameka Evans, who worked at Georgia Regional Hospital at Savannah from 2012 to 2013, ultimately left her job and sued.

The question in her case is whether a federal law barring workplace discrimination "because of...sex" covers discrimination against someone because of their sexual orientation. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission under President Barack Obama took the view that it does. But President Donald Trump's administration has argued that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 bars discrimination based on gender but doesn't cover sexual orientation.

The businesses' court filing says they and their employees would benefit if the court agreed to take the case and rule that Title VII covers sexual orientation discrimination.

If Starbucks Put Bible Quotes On Holiday Cups

And yes, that really is Ezekiel 23:20...

Starbucks Sued For "Too Much Ice" In Iced Drinks

Seriously.

According to the $5 million dollar lawsuit, filed by Chicago resident Stacy Pincus, Starbucks' Venti 24 ounce iced drinks often only contain 14 ounces of actual beverage and the rest is ice.

Starbucks responded to the lawsuit today saying the claim is totally unfounded, and that customers are always welcome to have their drink remade at anytime by request.

The lawsuit seeks class-action status, which could allow it to cover customers for the last decade. Among other things, the lawsuit seeks damages, restitution and attorneys’ fees.

Watch ABC News' report by Gio Benitez (hello recently married hottie):

Starbucks Joins Seattle Police Department's Safe Place Program

Starbucks demonstrates yet again why the coffee retailer is a great LGBT ally.

Earlier this year, Jim Ritter - LGBTQ liaison officer for the Seattle Police Department - launched the Seattle Police Department Safe Place program to help stave off anti-LGBTQ-related crimes and harassment.

Now, coffee giant Starbucks has signed on to the program which will include all 97 company-owned stores in the great Seattle area.

Via press release:

Designed to identify plentiful safe and secure places for victims of anti-LGBTQ-related crimes and harassment, SPD Safe Place’s mission is intentionally uncomplicated. Window clings with the program’s rainbow logo are circulated to Seattle area businesses and public facilities identifying them as places where staff who’ve received SPD Safe Place training will call 911 and allow victims to remain on the premises until police arrive.

“We’re not wanting employees to tackle the suspect who is doing this,” he emphasized. “We want to make sure the employees stay safe and people in the businesses stay safe. I think the way this was designed, that’s certainly happening. Remember, these suspects don’t want to be seen. They don’t want to be following victims into a room full of people who can identify them.”

Officer Ritter says not one company he has approached in taking part in the program has turned him away.

Happy Friday, folks!

Ellen Takes On The Faux "Starbucks Red Cup" Scandal

Ellen shows how silly the current "outrage" is over the announcement that Starbucks' holiday cup will be solid red. No decorations of any kind.

Or as she says, no "snowflakes, Santa's sleigh and elves - all the things you find in the Bible..."

"Starbucks Hates Christmas" Guy Crashes And Burns On CNN

A crazy dude named Josh Feuerstein was invited onto CNN after his weekend, online rant about Starbucks waging a "war on Christmas" because they decided to go with a solid red cup this holiday season.

Apparently he was greatly offended by their lack of Jesus, presumably because as we all know, Jesus would have totally been a Starbucks kinda guy.

You'll note how, after making his ludicrous accusations including an "Obama is not a Christian" dig, he suddenly can't hear radio host Pete Dominick crush his crazy theories.

By the way - if you're worried about putting the "Christ" in "Christmas" - get out and help the homeless and hungry. Don't tell me about a dumb red cup. If a coffee cup defines Christmas for you, you've already missed the point.

Starbucks Opposes LGBT Discrimination

Starbucks would just like to remind you all:

"Everyone is welcome at Starbucks. Creating a culture of warmth and belonging is a core value of our company and we have been committed to diversity and inclusion since our earliest days.

"Starbucks joins with others opposing any state or federal legislation that permits discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity and encourages policymakers everywhere to embrace equality."

(via press release)

Commercial: Starbucks "Coffee Frenemies"

Starbucks first LGBT ad - "Coffee Frenemies" featuring Bianca Del Rio and Adore Delano, fan favorites from the sixth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Because even top RuPaul queens need caffeine.

Why baristas get the spelling of your name wrong

There's a very simple reason behind the misspelling of your name at Starbucks.

This Buzzfeed video explains why these things happen.

Starbucks HQ celebrates Pride Month by raising LGBT Rainbow flag

Starbucks celebrated the beginning of Seattle's 40th LGBT Pride Week on Monday by raising an 800 square foot rainbow pride flag over its Seattle headquarters.

“A gesture as simple as flying a flag might not seem like much on face, but it represents another step forward for the LGBT community as companies all around Seattle both recognize and celebrate the LGBT community,” said Seattle Pride, in a statement.

“The flag flying over their headquarters will welcome thousands of visitors coming to Seattle to celebrate Pride this week and is a testament to the support Starbucks has shown the LGBT community over the years,” said Adam McRoberts, Communications Director for Seattle Pride.

(from LGBTQ Nation)

Oprah and Starbucks invite you to treat your mom on Mother's Day

Well, this is sweet.  Starbucks includes a lesbian couple of two moms in their new campaign - with voiceover by none other than Oprah herself.

Apparently, if you head to Starbucks on Mother's Day, when you buy yourself an Oprah Chai Tea latte, mom gets one for free.

From Starbucks:

No one has done more for you than she has.  This Mother's Day, give her the thoughtful treat of time with you.

When you bring your mom to a participating Starbucks® store on Sunday, May 11, and buy a Teavana® Oprah Chai Tea latte, hers is on us.

Starbucks to sell wine and tapas - "Starbucks Evenings"

Starbucks has begun testing a program of offering wine, beer and small plates after 4pm in a program called "Starbucks Evenings."

Today, only 40 of the more than 11,000 Starbucks in the country are involved in the after-hours program, including the ones in DC's Dulles airport and inside LA's LAX.

Chief Operating Officer Troy Alstead told Bloomberg in a phone interview that the company will be bringing alcohol to thousands of stores in the near future. Though, says Alstead, the rollout will take several years and isn't expected to hit every store in the country.

The company plans to focus on urban and other growth areas first.

I'm TOTALLY in favor of this.

Now please.

(via Eater.com)

Starbucks would like to thank NOM for boycott leading it's stock to 12 month high

On one hand, you have to give a little credit to "sticking with it" I guess.

On the other hand?  Well, on the other hand, after 12 months of the National Organization for Marriage's "boycott" of Starbucks the company's stock is at a 12 month high.

Oh - and congrats on Delaware, too, NOM - great work.  See you in Minnesota.

(h/t JMG)