As we have consistently done in celebration of our heritage months, we proudly raised the Progress Pride flag atop our Starbucks Support Center, and in thousands of our stores around the country. Raising the Pride flag continues to be one of our proudest traditions. We do this each year on behalf of partners around the world, to affirm the diversity of our LGBTQIA2+ community and as a call for a more inclusive society – a call we have made since our founding. &nbsp;

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We want to be crystal clear – Starbucks has been and will continue to be at the forefront of supporting the LGBTQIA2+ community, and we will not waver in that commitment! Despite today’s public commentary, there has been no change to any of our policies as it relates to our inclusive store environments, our company culture and the benefits we offer our partners. We continue to encourage our store leaders to celebrate with their communities including for U.S. Pride month in June, as we always have. &nbsp;

We must ALL have the same vision for how all people, including LGBTQIA2+ people, should be treated – with respect, support and allyship, because belonging is a core value. As such, we strongly disapprove of any person or group, seeking to use our partners’ cultural and heritage celebrations to create harm or flagrantly advance misinformation for self-interested goals.&nbsp;

We are <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2023/celebrating-our-lgbtqia2-partners-and-the-community/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">proud of our legacy</a> and nearly 40 years of strong allyship. Throughout this journey, partners across the company, in particular our Pride Network, have played a critical role in shaping the decisions we make. At the heart of this work is ensuring we have inclusive benefits – like family expansion reimbursement for adoption and surrogacy, expanded health insurance options for transgender partners, and medical travel reimbursement when partners are legally unable to access gender affirming care. &nbsp;

Over the years we have also forged non-profit partnerships, expanded self-ID options, advocated for marriage equality to the U.S. Supreme Court, worked with community groups and law enforcement to designate certain Starbucks stores as a Safe Place for victims of anti-LGBTQ-related crimes and harassment, updated our pronoun pins and expanded pronoun options in more of our partner systems, and more. It was this sense of purpose and responsibility, as partners, that led our founder, Howard Schultz, to speak out at our 2013 shareholders meeting in support of same sex marriage stating, “Not every decision is an economic decision. The lens in which we are making that decision is through the lens of our people.” That moment – and the dozens before and after it – forever put us on a path to building a Starbucks where everyone is welcome. 

Starbucks will continue to be a place where our partners, customers, and communities are seen, heard, and valued. This is our work, this is our promise, and this is our purpose. &nbsp;

Laxman Narasimhan, ceo&nbsp; Sara Trilling, evp and president, North America&nbsp;&nbsp;

We want to be crystal clear – Starbucks has been and will continue to be at the forefront of supporting the LGBTQIA2+ community, and we will not waver in that commitment.

A Message from Starbucks: Our Heritage, Our People, Our Purpose

Stories to inspire and nurture the human spirit

Starbucks Stories

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From Milan to Toronto, São Paulo to Tokyo, Starbucks is proud to support the LGBTQIA2+ community and reinforce our commitment to building a culture where everyone feels welcome.

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In Milan, Starbucks will proudly display the Pride flag at the <a href="https://www.starbucksreserve.com/en-us/locations/milano">Starbucks Reserve® Roastery</a> from June 16 to July 3. The company will also support the Milano Pride initiative, the city’s annual parade and festival held at the end of June to celebrate the LGBTQIA2+ community.

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For the fourth year in a row, Starbucks Canada kicked off Pride month in a bright and bold way, unveiling this year’s winning <a href="https://stories.starbucks.ca/en-ca/stories/2022/18358/">Craft Your Pride</a> t-shirt design, created by a Vancouver-based barista, Rex. The annual Craft Your Pride contest, which is open to all Canadian partners, is coordinated through the Starbucks Canada Pride Network. Each year, the winning design is produced and available for Canadian partners to purchase and proudly wear in stores throughout Pride month. Partners across the country are also engaging locally to support the LGBTQIA2+ community, including participating in the Toronto Pride and Remembrance Run, a community clothing drive, and more.

Starbucks celebrates Pride Month in Brazil with the expansion of its "I Am" initiative via a <a href="https://historias.starbucks.com/en-es/press/2022/starbucks-brazil-celebrates-pride-month-expands-support-for-transgender-community/">new program focused on hiring and training transgender partners</a> (employees). The program kicks off a month of Pride events, including partner participation in the June 19 São Paulo Pride Parade and the launch of the Pride Frappuccino® Blended Beverage (available from June 16 to 19) where Starbucks Brazil will donate the net profit from product sales to local LGBTQIA2+ advocacy groups.

To celebrate Pride Week in Japan, Starbucks Japan introduced the <a href="https://stories.starbucks.co.jp/ja/press/2022/pr2022-4634/">‘No Filter’ merchandise collection</a> in vibrant rainbow colors, a nod to freedom of self-expression. Ten percent of proceeds from the rainbow offerings were donated to non-profit <a href="https://rebitlgbt.org/">ReBit</a>, a Japanese initiative that promotes diversity education in high schools through classes on inclusion and LGBTQIA2+ issues.

Celebrating Pride around the world

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Celebrating Pride around the World

Join the Starbucks Pride Network in celebrating Pride Month all through June with positive actions and allyship – as we recognize, uplift and learn more about all the identities within the LGBTQIA2+ community. Partner networks like the Starbucks Pride Network create connections over shared experiences and values, encourage professional growth, raise awareness of important issues and serve as a bridge between our stores and the communities we serve.

Starbucks Pride Network partners are champions in their communities across the nation. Join us as we uplift causes and organizations important to our partners.

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<a href="https://secure.transequality.org/site/Donation2;jsessionid=00000000.app20098b?df_id=1480&amp;mfc_pref=T&amp;1480.donation=form1&amp;NONCE_TOKEN=B6A0D74BE08B43E98E5FC760ECA0C989" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Donate</a> to the NCTE and <a href="https://transequality.org/action-centers" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">learn more</a> about how the organization is working to transform disrespect, discrimination and violence into empathy, opportunity and justice.

Starbucks partners support many local organizations, including:

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Starbucks has partnered with Arizona State University to build the <a href="https://starbucksglobalacademy.com/to-be-welcoming/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">“To Be Welcoming” curriculum</a>, a free 15-course learning resource, available to all, designed to address bias and deepen human connections. <a href="https://assets.goa.edpl.us/media/html/sexuality/1.1_key_terms_and_concepts_3/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">In this interactive lesson</a>, you’ll learn about key terms and concepts related to sexual identity formation. The curriculum features courses on gender bias and sexuality bias.

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We honor all the different ways our partners identify. We believe it makes us stronger. Here, <a href="https://www.hrc.org/news/two-spirit-and-lgbtq-idenitites-today-and-centuries-ago">read more</a> about the origins of the Two Spirit identity, its significance within the Indigenous community and how it shows up today.

Recommended listening from our partners during Pride Month:

This Pride Month, Suzie and Kevin, two Starbucks partners and longtime Pride Network members, helped bring the “Love Onward” T-shirt to life. The T-shirt will be available to partners all year long, with the theme representing the idea of accepting all people as they are.

“I was inspired by both the LGBTQIA2+ community and our brand’s deep love for coffee. I wanted the shirt to look like something only Starbucks could do, so it needed to be rooted in coffee and joy,” says Suzie (she/her), an associate creative director. “Also, I came out during my time as a partner at Starbucks and when doing so, I felt such a sense of belonging and support from partners professionally. I recognize I am not alone in this kind of experience with Starbucks as a partner in the Pride Network — we lift each other up as partners and support one another. This really encompasses the inspiration of the lines of copy and the design.”

“What I hope most is that this shirt makes our LGBTQIA2+ partners full of happiness, joy and pride,” Suzie says. “Every sketch, every refinement on this shirt was done with them in mind. I just wanted to make this community proud and happy.”

Kevin (he/him), a creative project manager who’s been with Starbucks for 25 years, adds, “It’s a tough time in the culture for the LGBTQIA2+ community and it feels like we’re under attack — especially the trans and non-binary community. I hope that all the work we created for this campaign brings a little bit of joy to everyone and lets them know we’re happy they’re a part of our great, big, inclusive community – literally, ‘we’re so glad you’re here.’”

“To me, Pride means sharing my entire, authentic, flamboyant self wherever I go and with whomever I meet,” Kevin says. “I strive to do this all year round and not just the month of June. I grew up in a very conservative family and was always told I should change to ‘fit in.’ Starbucks has never asked me to be anything other than me and it’s a huge reason I’ve been here as long as I have.”

Illustrations by Jasmin Nguyen

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Join the partners (employees) of the Starbucks Pride Network in celebrating Pride Month through positive actions and allyship as we recognize and uplift everyone in the LGBTQIA2+ community.

Starbucks celebrates Pride and embraces all LGBTQIA2+ identities

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As a people-focused company, Starbucks strives to recognize and celebrate all communities – including the LGBTQIA2+ community – year-round. With more than 400,000 partners and&nbsp;36,000&nbsp;stores around the globe, we know a person’s lived experience is unique to them and our moment to support and celebrate will also be unique to the communities we serve around the globe.&nbsp;&nbsp;

From inclusive healthcare in the United States and ongoing non-profit partnerships in Japan, to the “I AM” project in Starbucks Brazil that provides transgender partners and community members legal and emotional support to amend the name on their birth certificates, Starbucks is committed to building a culture where everyone is welcome.

Starbucks History of LGBTQIA2+ Inclusion

In June, Starbucks joined the Human Rights Campaign’s (HRC) <a href="https://www.hrc.org/resources/count-us-in-pledge" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Count Us In</a> pledge to continue to sand in solidarity with the LGBTQIA2+ community. HRC is the nation’s largest LGBTQIA2+ civil rights advocacy organization.

Advocating for Federal Recognition of Marriage Equality

In December 2022, the U.S. reached an important milestone when the&nbsp;Respect for Marriage Act&nbsp;was signed into law, reflecting broad support for same-sex and interracial marriages. Starbucks chief global public policy counsel Zulima Espinel shared Starbucks ongoing commitment to advance inclusion and equity for all in a&nbsp;<a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2022/message-from-zulima-advancing-protections-for-marriage-equality/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">letter to partners</a>.

In July, Starbucks joined more than 170 organizations and the <a href="https://www.hrc.org/press-releases/human-rights-campaign-mobilizes-more-than-170-businesses-over-20-000-supporters-in-support-of-respect-for-marriage-act-senate-vote" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Human Rights Campaign</a> in urging the U.S. Senate to pass the Respect for Marriage Act. As we continue to stand up for our partners and their families, this statement reaffirms our support for marriage equality and our long history of advancing inclusion and equity for all.

Awarding grants for nonprofits

During our 2022 fiscal year, The Starbucks Foundation has provided more than 400 grants to non-profit organizations supporting LGBTQIA2+ communities, totaling more than $700,000. Many of these organizations, including Brave Trails —&nbsp;a nonprofit organization that is on a mission to build the next generation of LGBTQIA2+ leaders — were nominated by partners based on neighborhood&nbsp;partnerships they have developed in service of their local communities.

Supporting causes important to partners

Starbucks makes $50,000 donation to the <a href="https://transequality.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Center for Transgender Equality</a>, which advocates for policies that increase understanding and acceptance of transgender people.

Protecting the Rights of LGBTQIA2+ partners and communities&nbsp;&nbsp;

Starbucks joined over 170 companies and the Human Rights Campaign in an <a href="https://www.hrc.org/resources/business-statement-on-anti-lgbtq-state-legislation" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">advocacy</a> statement to address and oppose policy actions or legislation that discriminate against the LGBTQIA2+ community. The statement reiterates our position that every person deserves consistent protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. &nbsp;

Supporting vulnerable members of the LGBTQ+ community

Starbucks donates $50,000 to the <a href="https://www.lavenderrightsproject.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lavender Rights Project</a> to support providing low-cost legal services for transgender and queer low-income people and other marginalized communities in Washington state and $50,000 to the <a href="https://transequality.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Center for Transgender Equality</a> to increase understanding and acceptance of trans people across the United States.&nbsp;

Dennis Brockman named chief inclusion &amp; diversity officer

Starbucks appoints the Dennis Brockman as chief inclusion and diversity officer, now reporting directly to the company’s chief executive officer. Brockman, a 13-year partner, is dedicated to ensuring inclusive perspectives are represented at the company’s highest levels.

Recognition for workplace equality

Starbucks receives a 100 percent score on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index based on corporate policies and practices for LGBTQ equality for the 11th year.

Awarding grants for local LGBTQ+ nonprofits

The Starbucks Foundation awards 88 grants during the calendar year to nonprofit organizations supporting LGBTQ+ communities, totaling more than $150,000. Many of these organizations were nominated by partners based on neighborhood partnerships they have developed in service of their local communities.

Donates a combined $100,000 to the Human Rights Campaign and the National Center for Transgender Equality in honor of Pride Month to aid in their support for vulnerable members of the LGBTQ+ community due to the impacts of COVID-19. Awarding grants for local LGBTQ+ nonprofits

The Starbucks Foundation announces it has awarded 100 grants to nonprofit organizations supporting LGBTQ+ communities, totaling more than $300,000. Many of these organizations were nominated by partners based on neighborhood partnerships they have developed in service of their local communities.

Starbucks receives a 100 percent score on the <a href="https://assets2.hrc.org/files/assets/resources/CEI-2020.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index</a> based on corporate policies and practices for LGBTQ+ equality for the tenth year.

#whatsyourname campaign

Starbucks UK launches <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/emea/stories/2020/whatsyourname/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">#whatsyourname campaign</a> to celebrate the significant act for some transgender and gender diverse people as they use their new name in public. As part of this campaign, £100,000 was raised for the charity&nbsp;<a href="https://mermaidsuk.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mermaids</a>&nbsp;to support a helpline for young trans people and their families. <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/emea/stories/2020/whatsyourname/"> </a>

Amending names on transgender partners’ birth certificates&nbsp;

In support of Brazil’s National Trans Day of Visibility on January 29, Starbucks in Brazil, launched the <a href="https://historias.starbucks.com/en-es/press/2022/starbucks-launches-3rd-edition-of-i-am-project-on-brazils-national-trans-day-of-visibility/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">“I Am” (“Eu Sou”) annual project</a> to offer free legal support for transgender partners seeking to amend their names and genders on their birth certificates. With permission from participants, the emotional journey was <a href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DPw-WAnAgPQI&amp;data=04%7C01%7CRafael.Franco%40edelman.com%7C3714460c79754ef9f21908d9e76169ef%7Cb824bfb3918e43c2bb1cdcc1ba40a82b%7C0%7C0%7C637795227840437731%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&amp;sdata=mqLd2es5xg2hJQ%2FXEjSEObrjPAknrKkIZjClBNYHkv0%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">documented</a> and the video won the Grand Prix at the 2021 Cannes Lions Festival and an Effie Award.&nbsp;

Building a culture of inclusion and diversity

Starbucks appoints the company’s first chief inclusion and diversity officer, responsible for the company’s global inclusion and diversity strategy.

Helping partners expand their families

Expands <a href="https://www.starbucks.com/careers/working-at-starbucks/benefits-and-perks">fertility benefits beyond adoption expenses</a> in an effort to assist partners whose needs may not be met by their health care insurance company, such as same-gender couples looking to become parents or individuals seeking fertility services. The Family Expansion Reimbursement Program covers up to $10,000 for adoption, surrogacy or intrauterine insemination, up to a lifetime maximum of $30,000. The company also increases lifetime maximums for fertility benefits under all Starbucks medical plans to $25,000 for fertility services and $10,000 for prescription drugs.

In collaboration with Arizona State University, Starbucks releases its <a href="https://tobewelcoming.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">To Be Welcoming</a> curriculum with 15 free courses available to the public online designed to address bias through understanding the human experience, including the intersectional courses <a href="https://courses-sga.starbucksglobalacademy.com/courses/course-v1:ASU+TBW800+2019/about" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Welcoming Dialogue on Sexuality Bias</a> and <a href="https://courses-sga.starbucksglobalacademy.com/courses/course-v1:ASU+TBW600+2019/about" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Welcoming Dialogue on Gender Bias</a>.

Teaming up with Born This Way Foundation

Starbucks and Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation come together to help make the world a more compassionate and welcoming place for the LGBTQ community. During Pride Month (June 1-30), The Starbucks Foundation is matching <a href="http://bornthisway.foundation/starbucks" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">donations to Born This Way</a>, up to $250,000, to make a kinder, braver world.

New and current partners can now choose to self-identify with the company as LGBTQ – similar to other identifications, such as disability, refugee, veteran and military spouse. The option was the result of efforts by the Pride Alliance partner network to create another way to build upon the company’s commitment to the inclusion and diversity of all partners. 

Advocating for Civil Rights Protection

Starbucks joined over 200 companies to file a joint <a href="https://assets2.hrc.org/files/assets/resources/Title-seven-business-amicus-brief.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">amicus brief</a> to the Supreme Court in support of LGBTQ rights. The landmark briefing argues that existing federal civil rights law should protect LGTBQ people from discrimination in contexts ranging from employment to housing, healthcare and education. To file the brief the company worked with prominent civil rights groups the Human Rights Campaign, Lambda Legal, Out &amp; Equal, Out Leadership, and Freedom for All Americans.

Starbucks also joined the Human Rights Campaign’s <a href="https://www.hrc.org/resources/business-coalition-for-equality" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Business Coalition</a> in support of the Equality Act, a bill that would protect LGBTQ people from discrimination in housing, the workplace, public accommodations, and other settings under federal law. The Equality Act has since passed in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Two decades after Starbucks partners marched in its first Pride Parade in Seattle, hundreds of Starbucks Pride Alliance partners, friends and family join Pride events in <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/emea/stories/2018/hundreds-of-starbucks-partners-friends-and-family-join-the-pride-in-london/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">London</a> (above) and around the world.

Expanded benefits for transgender partners

Starbucks <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2018/they-are-lifesaving-starbucks-offers-expanded-benefits-for-trans-people/">broadens its health insurance options for transgender partners</a> to not only include gender reassignment surgery (which had been covered since 2013), but also a host of procedures that were previously considered cosmetic, such as breast reduction or augmentation surgery, facial feminization, hair transplants and more. “Starbucks is taking a stand and standing up for trans people and saying that our procedures aren’t just cosmetic – they are lifesaving. They’re affirming,” said Ron Crawford, vice president of benefits at Starbucks.

Supporting local LGBTQ+ communities in Brazil&nbsp;

Starting in 2018, Starbucks in Brazil has worked with local advocacy groups, such as Casa 1 (Sao Paulo) and Grupo Arco-Iris (Rio de Janeiro), among others, to support LGBTQ+ inclusion efforts through the donation of Starbucks product sales such as the Pride Frappuccino® and t-shirts, to help those in vulnerable situations due to their sexual orientation.&nbsp;

The&nbsp;Starbucks Foundation&nbsp;contributes <a href="https://news.starbucks.com/news/a-message-from-starbucks-regarding-the-tragedy-in-orlando">$50,000 to the&nbsp;OneOrlando Fund</a> to help people and families impacted by the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando, Fla.

Calling for equal treatment

Starbucks joins with more than 200 other business leaders to urge equal treatment for the LGBTQ community. Lucy Helm, then general counsel and now chief partner officer, shares a letter to partners underscoring&nbsp;<a href="https://news.starbucks.com/views/starbucks-commitment-to-inclusion">Starbucks commitment to inclusion</a>. “From our very earliest days, we have strived to create a company and culture that treats everyone – partners and customers alike – with respect and dignity,” Helm wrote. “We will continue to champion these values and to stand for our partners, our customers and our communities.”

Starbucks earns 100 out of 100 for the first time on the 2015 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), an initiative administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation on corporate policies and practices as <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2017/human-rights-campaign-recognizes-starbucks-as-top-employer/">a top employer for LGBTQ workplace equality</a>.

In order to help partners in self-identification, Starbucks updates its technology systems to ensure that documentation in stores reflect a partner’s “known as” name or nickname that is consistent with their gender identity or expression. This is an especially meaningful move for transgender partners, who now see their preferred name each time they log in for a shift. 

Seattle Police Department<a href="https://news.starbucks.com/news/safe-place-program-at-starbucks">&nbsp;Safe Place program</a>&nbsp;rolls out to Starbucks stores in Seattle, with special designation as secure places for victims of anti-LGBTQ-related crimes and harassment. More than 2,000 store partners receive SPD Safe Place training and window clings identify the 100 participating company-owned stores in the greater Seattle area.

Marriage equality becomes the law of the land in the United States thanks to the <a href="https://news.starbucks.com/news/starbucks-applauds-supreme-courts-ruling-on-marriage-equality">U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling</a>. Earlier in the year, Starbucks had signed on to The People’s Brief in favor of the decision.

Starbucks&nbsp;<a href="https://news.starbucks.com/news/for-the-first-time-starbucks-raises-the-pride-flag-atop-its-headquarters">flies the Pride flag atop its Seattle headquarters</a>&nbsp;for the first time. “Given our public stance on diversity and inclusion of all people, particularly on this issue, it makes sense to raise the flag in celebration,” said Lucy Helm, then-general counsel who is now chief partner officer for Starbucks. “Being open, inclusive and forward-thinking is at the core of what Starbucks is about.”

Starbucks chairman and chief executive officer Howard Schultz makes a vocal statement on diversity and equality during a spontaneous exchange at the 2013 Starbucks Annual Meeting of Shareholders. In response to a stockholder who voiced his view that the company had lost customers because of its support for marriage equality, Schultz said. “Not every decision is an economic decision. The lens in which we are making that decision is through the lens of our people.”

Expanding transgender partner support

Starbucks&nbsp;<a href="https://news.starbucks.com/news/transgender-partners-share-stories-of-unconditional-acceptance-at-starbucks">supports transgender partners</a>&nbsp;by adding coverage of gender reassignment surgery to the company’s health benefits.

Promoting marriage equality

Starbucks files an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court case challenging the Defense of Marriage Act. The year before, the company had joined with other Pacific Northwest employers in supporting marriage equality legislation in Washington state.

Starbucks <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2008/starbucks-joins-redtm-to-help-save-lives-in-africa/">joins (RED)™</a> to help invest in AIDS programs in Africa through the Global Fund.

Starbucks Pride partner affinity group officially becomes the Starbucks Pride Alliance Network.

Starbucks issues Workplace Gender Transition Guidelines to support partners who are transgender or considering transitioning to promote understanding of fair and equitable treatment of transgender and gender-diverse partners.

Starbucks includes a quote from author Armistead Maupin on its cups as part of its “The Way I See It” series, a collection of thoughts and expressions printed on the back of Starbucks cups to inspire conversation. 

Timeline: Starbucks history of LGBTQIA2+ inclusion - Starbucks Stories

Timeline: Starbucks history of LGBTQIA2+ inclusion

For more than three decades, Starbucks has been committed to building a culture where all are welcome, standing as an ally stood as an ally to the LGBTQ+ community.

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Timeline: Starbucks history of LGBTQ inclusion

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Story by Michael Ko

About 12 years ago, Angel was beginning her gender transition process. A Starbucks barista at the time, she felt ready to come out in the workplace and scheduled a meeting with her store manager. She was nervous. Declaring herself an openly trans person was not going to be easy.&nbsp;

“Of course, it was one of the most difficult experiences, but I knew I couldn’t transition without having agency for myself,” Angel recalls. “I told my store manager, ‘I’m going to transition, my preferred name is Angel and my pronouns are she/her.’ (The store manager) shared that with the rest of the team and said, ‘We will honor that, we will respect that and this isn’t an issue up for debate.’

“She embraced me with love. I felt seen by somebody that I admired. She had a liking for my work ethic and saw so many great things in me. Just because I told her I was trans, that didn’t erase those things. It didn’t change those things about me.”

Angel thinks back to that moment of positive allyship as pivotal in her development, both personally and professionally. At a vulnerable time, she felt like she belonged. Encouraged by other leaders who pushed and encouraged her, Angel is now a Starbucks store manager herself in Washington, D.C. – and a good one at that.

Several times, she’s been recognized as a top store manager in her area. She helped organize a Starbucks volunteer tent at a recent trans visibility march in D.C. and also led a table talk for the Starbucks Black Partner Network, a partner (employee) resource group, around her experience as a Black trans woman. She’s also led barista training workshops, promoted civic engagement in her community and organized local toy and literacy drives. Her store’s customer connection score is the highest in her district.&nbsp;

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Here, in her own words, she shares some of her perspectives and experiences, and talks about how to be an ally to the trans community, why pronouns are all about respect and what it means to try and be yourself during a time of increasing anti-trans legislation across the country.

On her experiences with gender as a child, and societal norms around gender…

“At a young age, I started wearing girl clothes. I was 11, 12 (years old), putting on my mom’s shoes. People would say, ‘You know you’re not supposed to play with that. You’re not supposed to do that.’ Little kids experience that all the time. It’s a form of trauma.

“We have to rethink what normal looks like, rethink what a boy or girl is supposed to do. If you have a child who is different or doesn’t identify as either, or isn’t your typical kid for whatever reason, why do we have the associations we have – colors, job expectations, their toys. We have to try not to limit them. Had I not been gender policed when I was a kid, who knows what talents I would have developed if I had the safety to do so?

“Don’t force your kids to be anyone other than who they say they are.”

On her journey of becoming more comfortable in her own skin…

“At the beginning of my transition, people were calling me out, taking pictures, (referring to me as) ‘that thing.’ The first time that happened, it was crushing. I cried. The things that people would say were outrageous. &nbsp;

“I got to a point where I didn’t have to deal with that all the time, and I knew I had more to offer than my trans-ness… I wanted to make myself the best shift supervisor. I was always on time. My store was the cleanest. I’d check every little box at work. But it was very stressful. I built this armor of wanting to make everything perfect, to the point of anxiety… Because I was trans, I felt I had to do more to earn my keep.

“I’m in a place, probably the last two years, I feel a little more liberated… I’m in a place now where I’m a mother to many, and I can give that advice to trans partners or gender non-conforming partners. The more that I’m living out loud and expressing that I’m trans, I’m starting to become more comfortable at work, and certainly more comfortable about not letting my trans-ness feel like a burden in any way.”

On seeing trans people as people, and respecting their chosen identity and pronouns…

“I think we have to create that culture of not making assumptions, and creating that level of professionalism that is required to work with people of all walks of life, just like we do with different religious beliefs. Ask before you say anything that could be damaging. For trans and gender non-conforming people, misgendering them is one of the most obvious forms of verbal violence that you can commit. It is truly one of the most hurtful things you can say to someone who is struggling with identity or transitioning through gender. Respecting me is using my pronouns and my name and how I choose to identify.

“Sometimes I don’t want to lead with being trans. That’s not the only thing I want to be seen as. I’m also Black, I’m also a creative… I am a house mother for the Legendary House of Comme Des Garcon (an organization committed to supporting and uplifting the LGBTQ+ community). &nbsp;If you’ve seen ‘Pose’ (a television drama about New York’s drag scene), you’ll kind of understand my leadership role. My work as a house mother encompasses me being a resource of love, advice and sometimes feedback to help my members/kids grow. I pour into them all.”

On what it means to be an ally to someone who identifies as trans…

“(About six years ago) I transferred to another store with a manager, Meskerem, who poured into my development. Every day was class. She was able to teach me about business acumen, ordering, managing waste, running a store that was busier than my old store. She didn’t see my trans-ness, she just saw my work.

“Being an ally means creating a sense of belonging, making sure that we are creating a space where that trans person or trans youth doesn’t feel like they’ll be penalized for being vulnerable and transparent about their identity or experience. And within that, words of affirmation, affirming that this is a safe space…

“And when things happen, making sure we’re not bystanders, that we are present and we are advocates for trans and gender non-conforming people when they are and when they are not in the room. It means so much more to me if you’re an advocate when I’m not there.”

On the power of living life more visibly…

“For many years, I didn’t talk about my trans-ness. I just wanted to be the best person for the job. The beauty of my experience has been that once you do free yourself, the possibilities are endless. A lot of those achievements (recognition for being a top store manager) happened after I was visible. After I was more forthcoming and more comfortable and honest, I was able to live up to my potential and things fell into place. I was able to work harder and be free around my identity and not have to be secretive.”

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A Starbucks store manager reflects on her experience as a Black trans woman and explains how to be an ally to the trans community.

Meet Angel, who knows the power of ‘living out loud’

Celebrating PRIDE: Meet Angel (she/her), who knows the power of ‘living out loud’

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A Starbucks store manager reflects on her experience as a Black trans woman and explains how to be an ally to the trans community, why pronouns are important and what it means to be yourself.

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Growing up, Danny always felt out of place, both because he was an Asian in a predominantly white community and because his immigrant family had very strict perceptions of masculinity and what it meant to be the man of the house.

One place he’s been able to find a sense of belonging is the Starbucks Pride Network, a partner (employee) resource group celebrating its 25th year, with a mission to inspire and nurture the LGBTQ+ community.

Danny moved to Washington state as a young child and as a teenager, became a Starbucks barista. When he was 17, he befriended a co-worker, a Starbucks Pride Network member, who helped him feel safe and respected around his identity. The support gave him the courage to tell the rest of his store team he was gay, which in turn helped him come out to his family.

“I saw so many leaders (in the Starbucks Pride Network) who were not like the people I grew up with – people of color, trans people, people with disabilities,” says Danny, now a Starbucks social media strategist in Seattle. “I was seeing that and seeing the supporters of those people, and other people who understood the struggles of not knowing yourself, who could speak to being an outsider.”

Lately, friends within the Pride network have been helping him unpack and talk about his Asian identity, a process that intensified with the recent increase in hate crimes against the Asian community.

He remembers vividly a conversation he had with someone when he was working as a Starbucks shift supervisor, after moving to Philadelphia to attend college, who said that Asian Americans didn’t really understand prejudice and racism. It made Danny think about the model minority myth, which stereotypes Asian Americans as successful and privileged and diminishes their struggles.

“While it might not be intentional, I find that when I’m talking to some of my friends, peers, the struggles of Asian Americans are somewhat dismissed,” he says. “How can I and others better educate the people around us while also working through being told these things?”

He’s never verbalized these kinds of thoughts so purposefully before. “I’ve never really had a chance to find a connection with my cultural identity, never really connected with other Asian people, other Asian families,” he says.

As Danny leans more into his intersectional identities, he struggles with the tension he sometimes feels being gay and Asian, and how to best make sense of his relationship with his mother, especially in the context of her experiences growing up in Korea. She told him she saw openly gay people being publicly assaulted; sometimes, rocks were thrown at them.

He wonders how much that fear influenced her reaction when he came out, the summer before he left for college. When he told her, it didn’t go well, and their relationship was strained for years.

When he moved back to Seattle several years ago, he transitioned into his corporate job – and reconnected with his mother. He’s in a place where he can acknowledge her experiences, while trying simultaneously to explain to her who he really is. Sometimes, he says, “I see a light at the end of the tunnel.” Sometimes, he can’t forget how her reaction made him feel – numb and hurt.

“I just want to keep exposing her to more people who are gay. Some have families, some have amazing careers. They’re good people, they’re good to me, they’re good to her,” he says. “Has she ever seen any gay people treated well? Am I the first person who’s teaching her about any of this?

“Just because I’m gay doesn’t mean I can’t do all these things. My future isn’t limited because I’m gay. I’m proving to her that I can get a great job and be happy with my life. I want her to know that everything is still going to be OK.”

A Starbucks partner reflects on the tension he sometimes feels being gay and Asian, and how he’s trying to bring those two identities together.

Meet Danny, whose Pride family is helping him lean into all his identities

Celebrating PRIDE: Meet Danny (he/him), whose Pride family is helping him lean into all his identities

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When Andi and Karen held hands and walked together in the 2016 Seattle Pride Parade, it was significant, and not just because it was Andi’s first march and they were coming out publicly as a couple in front of their friends and co-workers.

The moment led to a marriage, and also represented a milestone on the paths they’ve each been on to truly feel seen and understood – for Andi, finding the right words to describe who she truly is inside, and for Karen, finding pride in her identity.

“People want to feel heard and seen, they want to love who they love without judgment, and they want to live their true and authentic selves,” says Andi, a Starbucks supervisor on the partner data team. “Pride to me is the ability to break free from what I grew up with and have the family and life that I have always wanted.

“All of us are humans and it is a beautiful thing that everyone can be who they are to the core of their being, and to celebrate that.”

For Karen, a Starbucks global supply chain project manager, that march was her 20th. But while many of those events were fun, until then, “I’d never felt the same sense of pride – holding my girlfriend’s hand in a place where we would not be stared at or judged, and truly letting go and celebrating together.”

Pride month is a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community – social visibility and self-acceptance, advancements in legal rights such as same-sex marriage, a commemoration of the important 1969 Stonewall Riots in New York City. What better way to celebrate than with a love story?

Andi and Karen met at a Starbucks in Washington state and started dating about a year later. They both worked in the stores – Karen was a store manager at two different locations – before transitioning into corporate roles. They live in Arizona, having relocated recently in hopes the warmer weather will help with Andi’s fibromyalgia.

Their romance was a whirlwind. One spring night, they kissed on the dance floor of a Seattle neighborhood club, a moment they both describe as “fireworks.” That summer was the Pride parade. The next January, in 2017, they were married.

Since Andi was little, she’s known she likes girls. In middle school, she came out as bisexual because it felt safer, but a family member told her it was “just a phase” and that “you like boys.” As an adult, even after she started dating Karen, calling herself gay or lesbian didn’t fit what she felt inside.&nbsp;

“The fluidity of the human identity is a sliding scale and I now understand that the best descriptor for me is queer, knowing that inside I have both masculine and feminine feelings,” she says. “I don’t have to be confined to what society has defined as gay or lesbian, I can simply be who I am without the added pressure of gendered descriptors.

“I have people in my life that tell me they just don’t understand why they are expected to ask people what their pronouns are, or why people want to make their identities so complex by using words such as queer. But the world isn’t binary – boy/girl, straight/gay, he/she. It is much more complex than that which is what makes our world such a beautiful place.”

Karen grew up attending religious school. She remembers going to her first Pride festival – alone – when she was 15 years old. She snuck out of the house without telling anyone because she hadn’t come out yet. When she did, her senior year of high school, it wasn’t on her terms; she was “outed” by someone else.

“By far one of the worst times of my life,” Karen remembers. “It felt incredibly lonely to have a number of close friends one day, to hardly any the next.”

A family member wanted her to go to conversion therapy. Teachers told her she needed counseling. She felt judged and fell into depression.

For Karen, kissing Andi “opened my eyes and got me thinking about what a happy, healthy relationship could be like… it was an epiphany.”

As their relationship grew, they found they were both motivated, driven and ambitious. They helped each other advance professionally and encouraged each other to finish school, which they both did recently through the <a href="https://starbucks.asu.edu/">Starbucks College Achievement Plan</a>.

Their wedding took place in Nevada, a small ceremony officiated by their good friend Ben, a Starbucks store manager in Seattle. Afterwards, they all walked down the Strip, still dressed up. Dinner was atop the replica Eiffel Tower restaurant at the Paris Las Vegas, with a view of the famous fountain at the Bellagio. Karen had a delicious steak (she’s now a vegetarian), and Andi still thinks about the butter. They danced to “Say You Won’t Let Go” by James Arthur.

“Pride means being proud of who you are, no matter what,” Karen says. “There’s been a 100 percent shift in the right direction, in the last 10 years or so. I just feel like we’ve come so far as a society. It feels good to be celebrating and not be afraid.”

For these two Starbucks partners, marriage represents a milestone in the different paths they took to finally reach a place where they both felt truly seen.

Andi and Karen, finding each other also meant finding themselves

Celebrating PRIDE: Meet Andi (she/her) and Karen (she/her), for whom finding each other also meant finding themselves

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Meet Andi and Karen, for whom finding each other also meant finding themselves

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For these two Starbucks partners, marriage represents a milestone in the different paths they took to finally reach a place where they both felt truly seen and understood.

Pride Month