Why do so many gay men work at Starbucks? - Quora

starbucks pro lgbt

  • Home
  • starbucks pro lgbt

Recent Posts

GAY AND AUSTINDecember 23, 2024
VIDEO GAY SEX MENDecember 23, 2024
FREE KENYAN GAY WHATSAPP LINKDecember 23, 2024
GAY APP IN THAILANDDecember 23, 2024
311 GAY STREET WASHINGTON VADecember 23, 2024
GAY HOTELS WEST HOLLYWOOD CADecember 23, 2024
QUEER STUDIES THEMESDecember 23, 2024
UK MEN GAYDecember 23, 2024
GAY FURRY FUNDecember 23, 2024
GAY BOY KIDSDecember 23, 2024

Tags

The right-wg rurgence Germany rells prewar Berl. It may signal an omo turn for the untry’s gay muny.

Contents:

PRI SOLIDARY: STARBUCKS LGBTQ+ PARTNERS STAND AGAST RACISMBY JENNIFER WARNICK • JUNE 23, 2020 • 11 M READSHARESHARE ON FACEBOOKSHARE ON TWTERSHARE ON LKEDINSHARE EMAILPRI BEGAN AS A REBELLN – AN UPRISG AGAST POLICE HARASSMENT AND SYSTEMIC DISCRIMATN. THIS PRI MONTH, AS PROTTORS ALL OVER THE WORLD TAKE TO THE STREETS TO PROTT POLICE BTALY AND SYSTEMIC RACISM, THREE LGBTQ+ STARBUCKS PARTNERS SHARE THEIR THANKFULNS FOR ALLI AND THE IMPORTANCE OF NTUG TO FIGHT AGAST EQUALY.PRI BEGAN WH PEOPLE SAYG “ENOUGH.”A SPARK OF RISTANCE AT THE STONEWALL INN NEW YORK CY ONE SUMMER NIGHT 1969 HELPED IGNE THE ALREADY LONG-BURNG GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT. RTS LED TO MARCH, MARCH TO PARAS, AND ALL OF LED TO MORE WISPREAD AWARENS, ACTIVISM AND CHANGE.THAT CHANGE LED UNTLS LGBTQ+ PEOPLE, CLUDG STARBUCKS PARTNERS ASHER MARTEZ, SHNA MCKENZIE-LEE AND CATL PERR, TO LIVE PLETELY DIFFERENT LIV THAN THEY MIGHT OTHERWISE HAVE LED – LIV WHICH THEY WERE EE TO BE THEIR TT SELV.SCE PRI BEGAN ON THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE STONEWALL RTS, HAS EVOLVED TO MEAN MANY THGS TO THE LGBTQ+ MUNY AND S ALLI. PRI N BE A PARTY – A JOYO CELEBRATN OF DIVIDUALY, EEDOM AND LOVE. PRI N BE A PARA – A RALLY OF VOIC AND LORFUL SIGNS PROMOTG CLN, RPECT AND EQUALY. AND SOMETIM, LIKE WAS THE BEGNG AND LIKE IS THIS YEAR, PRI N BE AN UPRISG – A SHOULR-TO-SHOULR MARCH AGAST JTICE AND DISCRIMATN.THIS JUNE, DURG PRI MONTH, A NEW NVERSATN ABOUT CHANGE HAS BEGUN TO UNFOLD. PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD ARE NOW PROTTG STUTNAL RACISM AND POLICE BTALY. PRI REVELERS, MANY OF WHOM WERE FDG WAYS TO CELEBRATE PRI SI DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANMIC, HAVE TAKEN TO THE STREETS TO MARCH FOR A DIFFERENT FIGHT – THE FIGHT AGAST RACIAL EQUALY.EARLY THIS MONTH, SHNA MCKENZIE-LEE, MANAGG DIRECTOR OF THE STARBUCKS RERVE ROASTERY CHIGO AND A BLACK MEMBER OF THE LGBTQ+ MUNY, WAS SPIRED BY HER YOUNG LEARSHIP TEAM TO SHOW UP PERSON STEAD OF WATCHG THE PROTTS ON TELEVISN. THEY PASSED OUT WATER TO PROTTORS TOGETHER, AND MCKENZIE-LEE REFLECTED ON THE NVERGENCE OF THE IMPORTANT MOMENTS.“THE WORLD SE ME AS BLACK FIRST, AND THEN WE GET TO BEG A WOMAN AND THEN WE GET TO BEG LGBTQ. THIS HAS BEEN MY LIFE AS A BLACK PERSON THIS UNTRY,” MCKENZIE-LEE SAID. “THERE’S A SET OF ASSUMPTNS THAT E WH THAT – PAY MORE ATTENTN, DON’T MS UP, BE TWICE AS GOOD. THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THGS I HEARD GROWG UP. NOW FEELS ALMOST LIKE THERE’S CLOSED PTNG ON THAT EXPERIENCE – LIKE THERE’S A WAY TO MAKE MORE ACCSIBLE TO MORE PEOPLE, A WAY TO OVERLAY MORE NTEXT AND TO VE MORE PEOPLE TO THE OUTRAGE, THE DISCSN, THE FIGHT – AND HOPEFULLY THE SOLUTN.”FOR ALL THE UNCERTATY AND STGGLE THE YEAR HAS BROUGHT, MCKENZIE-LEE SAID COVID-19 ALSO BROUGHT AN ENVIRONMENT THAT HELPED BRG REAL AWARENS AND CHANGE WH CLOSER REACH.“THGS SLOWED WAY DOWN, AND SUDNLY WE WERE TAKG A LONG LOOK AT WHAT REALLY MATTERS. THE PANMIC ASKED ALL THE QUTNS ABOUT OURSELV, OUR LIV, OUR RILIENCY AND OUR ROLE THE WORK AHEAD AMIDST THE FAST EVOLVG NEW NORMAL – FORCED TO REALLY THK ABOUT THGS. I THK ALSO ALLOWED TO SEE THE MURRS OF PEOPLE LIKE AHMD ARBERY AND GEE FLOYD A MORE LLECTIVE WAY. WHOUT OUR UAL DISTRACTNS, WE HAVE HAD MORE OF A CHANCE TO THK ABOUT HOW IMPACTS , AND ABOUT WHAT WE’RE GOG TO DO ABOUT , WHAT ROLE ARE WE REALLY GOG TO PLAY,” MCKENZIE-LEE SAID.SHE SAID SHE’S SPIRED BY SEEG UNTLS PEOPLE G TOGETHER SOLIDARY AROUND THE WORLD.“THAT FILLS ME WH HOPE. AND, LIKE THE JOY THAT END UP BEG SUCH A BIG PART OF PRI, YOU SEE THE GLIMMERS – ‘BLACK LIV MATTER’ BEG PATED ONTO STREETS, CELEBRATORY AND PEACEFUL MOMENTS HAPPENG AMID THE OUTRAGE, NEW URAGEO NVERSATNS OPENG UP OR LASTG LONGER,” SHE SAID. “THIS WILL BE HARD, AND UNFORTABLE, AND WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO TO MAKE SYSTEMIC CHANGE, AND WE N MAKE SPACE FOR BETIFUL MOMENTS AS WELL.”THIS PRI, MCKENZIE-LEE AND TWO OTHER LGBTQ+ STARBUCKS PARTNERS SHARED THEIR STORI OF THE JOURNEYS THEY TOOK TO BEG THEMSELV, EXPRSED GRATU FOR THE ALLI WHO STOOD BY THEM ALONG THE WAY AND TALKED ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF NTUG TO FIGHT FOR EQUALY FOR ALL.ASHER MARTEZ: LIKE-MD PEOPLE THE BT PART OF PRIASHER MARTEZ ME OUT TWICE – FIRST AS A LBIAN AND THEN, LATER, AS A TRANS MAN.“I WAS GOG THROUGH SOME STUFF. I WAS REALLY SAD AND FELY PRSED, BUT I DIDN’T EXACTLY KNOW WHY.”IT WAS A LONG ROAD, BEG WHO HE IS TODAY. A FIRST-GENERATN AMERIN GROWG UP NEW YORK CY AND THE SON OF PUERTO RIN IMMIGRANTS, HIS FAY WAS LOVG AND TIGHT-KN, BUT HE REMEMBERS ENTERG HIS TEENAGE YEARS A DARK CLOUD OF NFG AND UNFED ANGST.“I WAS GOG THROUGH SOME STUFF. I WAS REALLY SAD AND FELY PRSED, BUT I DIDN’T EXACTLY KNOW WHY,” SAID MARTEZ, A STORE MANAGER ST. AUGTE, FLA., AND SIX-MONTH STARBUCKS PARTNER.THEN HE MET KELLEYANN ROYCE, A UNSELOR AT IS-123 MIDDLE SCHOOL THE SOUTH BRONX.“SHE KNEW. SHE FELY NAILED THAT I WAS THIS CLOSETED LTLE GAY KID WHO NEED SOME GUIDANCE,” MARTEZ SAID. “YOU DON’T ALWAYS SEE THE BIGGER PICTURE, YOU JT KNOW WHAT YOU KNOW.”“ROYCE,” AS THE KIDS AFFECTNATELY LL HER, WASN’T OVERT, BUT REPEATEDLY REMD HER STUNTS THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT THG YOU N BE IS YOURSELF, AND THAT LOVE IS LOVE.“ANOTHER THG SHE ALWAYS TOLD ME IS THAT THE ONE THG YOU SHOULD ALWAYS RPECT IS TIME, BEE TIME IS THE ONE THG YOU N NEVER GET BACK. I HOLD THAT STILL TO BE TE,” MARTEZ SAID. “SHARG WHO I AM WH PEOPLE, AND BEG ABLE TO START DOG THAT SO YOUNG, WAS BEE I KNEW I WOULD NEVER GET THAT TIME BACK, SO WHY SHOULD I HI AND LIVE THE SHADOWS AND BE SAD IF I DIDN’T HAVE TO?”AS MIDDLE SCHOOL ME TO A CLOSE, MARTEZ STARTED TO MAKE SOME MOV, FIRST QUIETLY, AND THEN OUT LOUD. HE APPLIED TO ATTEND HIGH SCHOOL AT MANHATTAN VILLAGE AMY, THOUGH HIS PARENTS WERE PERPLEXED AS TO WHY HE’D CHOSEN A SCHOOL 45 MUT BY TRA OM THE BRONX (THEY WOULD LATER LEARN WAS BEE THE SCHOOL IS LOTED NEW YORK CY’S ULTRA-GAY-IENDLY CHELSEA NEIGHBORHOOD).AT 16, MARTEZ ME OUT AS A LBIAN – FIRST TO IENDS AT SCHOOL, WHERE WAS A “NON-EVENT.” HOME WAS A DIFFERENT MATTER. MARTEZ WAS AAID G OUT WOULD STIR CULTURAL AND RELIG TENSNS, PARTICULARLY OM A FATHER WHO STUDIED TO BE A PRIT WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER BEFORE BEG A TAEKWONDO STCTOR. HIS PARENTS WERE SURPRISGLY SUPPORTIVE. FOUR YEARS LATER, WH THE ADDN OF THE “LANGUAGE AND STRENGTH” TO MORE FULLY UNRSTAND AND EXPLA HIMSELF, HE ME OUT TO THEM AGA, THIS TIME AS A TRANSGENR MAN.“FIRST YOU HAVE A GAY KID, AND THEN YOUR GIRL TURNS TO YOUR SON? I THOUGHT I WAS G OUT TO A RELIG AND HOMOPHOBIC DAD. BUT HE SURPRISED ME. HE’S EVOLVED AS A PERSON, AND AS AN ALLY,” MARTEZ SAID. “MY STORY ISN’T ONE RIDDLED WH SADNS, LONELS AND STGGLE. MY STORY DON’T HAPPEN ENOUGH.”IN ADDN TO BEG EMBRACED BY HIS FAY AND IENDS, MARTEZ SAID HE FEELS SUPPORTED AT WORK TOO."(I WORK FOR STARBUCKS), BEE I AM A PERSON OF LOR AND I FEEL CLUD. AS A TRANS PARTNER I FEEL SEEN,” HE SAID, NOTG STARBUCKS PREHENSIVE HEALTH BENEFS FOR TRANSGENR PARTNERS. "THE STARBUCKS MISSN AND VALU ARE SO ALIGNED WH WHO I AM. I’VE BEEN BLOWN AWAY MY SHORT TIME HERE."EACH YEAR SCE MOVG TO FLORIDA, MARTEZ AND HIS LONGTIME GIRLIEND HAVE RETURNED TO NEW YORK CY FOR THE PRI PARA AND FTIVAL. THEY WON’T BE MAKG THE TRIP THIS YEAR; FOR THE FIRST TIME HALF A CENTURY, THE NEW YORK CY PRI PARA IS NCELED. STILL, MARTEZ SAID, THERE IS PLENTY TO CELEBRATE.“TO SOME PEOPLE, MIGHT NOT SEEM LIKE A BIG THG – LIKE, ’S JT A PARA – BUT ’S A LTLE SAD, TO BE HONT. I LIKE FEELG LIKE I N HOLD HANDS, AND THAT ’S OK TO WEAR MY RABOW YANKEE HAT. I LIKE TO TAKE A FOLDG CHAIR, AND S DOWN AND JT … BE,” MARTEZ SAID. “I’M NOT A PARTY PERSON, I JT WANT TO BE AROUND LIKE-MD PEOPLE. FOR ME, THAT’S THE BT WAY TO CELEBRATE PRI.”STILL, HE SAID, THERE’S PLENTY TO BE THANKFUL FOR THIS YEAR.“THIS PRI, AND FOR THE RT OF MY LIFE, I WILL CELEBRATE THE FACT THAT I’M ABLE TO BE VISIBLE. THERE ARE PEOPLE OUR MUNI WHO ARE NOT ABLE TO BE VISIBLE – ’S JT NOT SAFE. BEG VISIBLE IS A PRIVILEGE,” MARTEZ SAID. “I WILL BE AWE THAT I WORK FOR A PANY WHERE I’M CELEBRATED AS A HISPANIC PERSON, AND AS A TRANS PERSON AND AS A QUEER PERSON AND HONTLY, JT AS A PERSON. I WILL CELEBRATE BEG ABLE TO SHARE MY STORY WH PEOPLE. AND I WILL CELEBRATE THAT I AM PROUD, AND ABLE TO BE PROUD, TO BE A HISPANIC QUEER TRANSGENR MAN OM THE SOUTH BRONX.”SHNA MCKENZIE-LEE: ‘WE HAVE TO BE EXACTLY WHO WE ARE’WHEN SHNA MCKENZIE-LEE WAS YOUNGER, HER MOTHER, SHARON, ATTEND A PARTY WHERE THE ENTERTAMENT WAS A PSYCHIC. WHEN WAS HER TURN TO S WH THE WOMAN, THE PSYCHIC TOLD SHNA HER DGHTER WOULD HAVE A STAR OVER HER HEAD.“THE WORLD SE ME AS BLACK FIRST, AND THEN WE GET TO BEG A WOMAN AND THEN WE GET TO BEG LGBTQ. THIS HAS BEEN MY LIFE AS A BLACK PERSON THIS UNTRY.”“MY MOM WOULD TELL ME THIS STORY EVERY FIVE YEARS OR SO,” SAID MCKENZIE-LEE. “I THK THE STAR, TO MY MOM, THE STAR PROBABLY ME TO REPRENT ME FOLLOWG MY JOURNEY TO BE WHO I AM.”IN NOVEMBER, THE DAY BEFORE THE STARBUCKS RERVE ROASTERY CHIGO OPENED S DOORS, MCKENZIE-LEE POSED FOR PICTUR NEXT TO HER MOTHER ON THE BUILDG’S AIRY TOP FLOOR. BOTH WOMEN BEAMED – THE MOTHER, WHO WAS WATCHG HER ONLY CHILD LEAD THE OPENG OF THE LARGT STARBUCKS THE WORLD, AND THE DGHTER, WHO WAS ABLE TO DO SO WHOUT HIDG ANY PART OF WHO SHE IS. HOVERG ABOVE BOTH OF THEM? A LARGE, NEON STAR. Y, ’S PART OF THE ROASTERY LOGO, BUT STILL … WHOA, RIGHT?MCKENZIE-LEE LGHED. “WE BOTH LOOKED UP AND I REMD HER OF THAT STORY. IT’S ALMOST LIKE RERCEMENT THAT I HAD MA THE RIGHT CISNS TO GET TO THAT MOMENT. EVERYTHG KD OF ME FULL CIRCLE.”SHE GREW UP CCNATI, PART OF A TIGHTKN, SPIRUAL FAY. HER PARENTS DIVORCED WHEN SHE WAS YOUNG, THOUGH THEY STAYED ON POSIVE TERMS, AND MCKENZIE-LEE AND HER MOTHER MOVED WH HER GRANDMOTHER.“THE FLUENCE OF MY MOM’S MOM PARTICULAR – SHE WAS BORN 1919, WIDOWED EARLY, AND HAD TWO KIDS TO RAISE AS A SGLE, BLACK WOMAN. SHE JT DID , AND MA LOOK EASY, AND ROOTED ALL OF CHURCH AND SPIRUALY. AS A CHILD, I GREW UP KNOWG I ULD GO OUT BUT NO MATTER WHAT HAD TO HAVE MY BUTT A CHAIR FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL,” SAID MCKENZIE-LEE, 46. “SHE TGHT ME THAT WE’RE ALL PLUGGED TO SOMETHG BIGGER.”AS A TEENAGER, MCKENZIE-LEE GRAPPLED WH THE BELIEFS OF SOME THE RELIG MUNY THAT GAY PEOPLE SHOULD FACE REPERCSNS OR PUNISHMENT FOR BEG WHO THEY ARE. IF YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO LOVE AND RE FOR EVERYBODY, SHE WONRED, DON’T THAT CLU GAY PEOPLE? SHE HAD HER FIRST GIRLIEND HIGH SCHOOL – A BASKETBALL TEAMMATE.“IT WAS A LONG-TERM RELATNSHIP, BUT ALSO VERY HIDN. I WENT TO PROM AND HOMEG WH MALE BASKETBALL IENDS. EVEN FOR MYSELF, I WAS TRYG TO UNRSTAND – IS THIS WHO I REALLY AM? ON THE SURFACE, THGS WERE GOOD – I GOT GOOD GRAS. I PLAYED SPORTS. BUT WAS A CHALLENGG TIME,” SHE SAID. “SEEKG THE APPROVAL OF MY GRANDMOTHER, ALL OF THAT HAD ME VERG UP WHO I WAS FOR SO LONG.”AT 20, SHE FALLY GOT THE URAGE TO E OUT TO HER GRANDMOTHER.“I HAD BUILT THIS UP FOR MONTHS. IN SENCE, I WAS PREPARG TO LOSE MY GRANDMOTHER. THAT’S WHAT I THOUGHT WOULD HAPPEN,” MCKENZIE-LEE SAID. “SHE CERTALY HAD A FEW THGS TO SAY. BUT ULTIMATELY, SHE JT HUGGED ME. SHE LIVED TO BE 94. FOR THE RT OF HER LIFE, WE WERE ABLE TO OPERATE NOT JT LOVE, BUT TRANSPARENCY.”COMG OUT WAS HARD FOR HER MOTHER, TOO.“I KNOW SHE EXPERIENCED SOME GRIEF, THAT WAS NOT A TRADNAL PATH HER CHILD WAS GOG TO FOLLOW. SHE THOUGHT I WOULD GET HURT AND PUNISHED AND WOULDN’T ADVANCE A REER. BUT SHE WAS ALSO THE ONE WHO GAVE ME THE FOUNDATN TO KNOW I SHOULD NTUE TO TRY TO BE WHO I AM,” MCKENZIE-LEE SAID. “WE HAVE TO BE EXACTLY WHO WE ARE. THERE’S SO MUCH POWER THAT. FEAR IS SOMETHG THAT WE SOMEHOW THK WILL CHANGE OR SHIFT OR GO AWAY AS WE GET OLR, BUT DON’T. WHATEVER WE NEED TO DO, WE HAVE TO JT DO SRED. DON’T FD YOURSELF LOSG TIME.”MCKENZIE-LEE AND HER WIFE, DENISE, HAVE BEEN TOGETHER FOR 15 YEARS AND MARRIED FOR FIVE. THEY’VE BEEN TO PRI CELEBRATNS TORONTO, MNEAPOLIS, PORTLAND AND CHIGO. THOUGH SHE WILL MISS MARCHG CHIGO’S PARA WH STARBUCKS PARTNERS THIS YEAR, SHE BELIEV WE N LOOK FOR NEW EXPERIENC, ON THAT ULD END UP BEG JT AS MEANGFUL AS THE ON WE’RE MISSG THIS YEAR.“WE N CELEBRATE THE OPPORTUNI WE HAVE TO REIMAGE OURSELV. WE N CELEBRATE THE WAYS WE STILL HAVE TO NNECT. WE N CELEBRATE KDNS – I BELIEVE KDNS IS OL. THERE’S AN ALICE WALKER QUOTE I LOVE: ‘KEEP MD ALWAYS THE PRENT YOU ARE NSTCTG. IT SHOULD BE THE FUTURE YOU WANT.’ NOW, MORE THAN EVER, THAT’S ON MY MD,” MCKENZIE-LEE SAID. “WHERE DO WE WANT TO BE ON THE OTHER SI OF THIS? LET’S MAKE SURE ’S SURROUND WH PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT . LET’S MAKE SURE ’S HAVG TAKEN RE OF OURSELV AND EACH OTHER.”CATL PERR: ‘COMMUNY N MEAN LOTS OF THGS’CATL PERR GREW UP AN IMMERSIVE RELIG MUNY CALIFORNIA. HE ATTEND A CHRISTIAN HIGH SCHOOL AND STUDIED THEOLOGY AT A BIBLE LLEGE.“MY GROWG UP AND G OUT AND BEG A WHOLE PERSON AND STARBUCKS, THEY’RE ALL TIED TOGETHER. THAT NFINCE GOT BUILT HERE."“IT WAS THE KD OF IMMERSIVE THAT’S NOT JT YOUR CHURCH, BUT YOUR WHOLE WORLD – YOUR SOCIAL LIFE, YOUR TN, EVERYBODY YOU KNOW, JT … INTY,” PERR SAID. “AND THE PARTICULAR VE OF CHRISTIANY I GREW UP , BEG GAY WAS NSIRED A S. THERE WAS A TON OF SHAME ATTACHED TO . FOR ME, WAS REALLY REPRSIVE TO FEEL MY ATTRACTNS WERE BAD, THE THGS I N’T NTROL, AS WAS MY GRAVATN TOWARD CERTA PEOPLE AND RELATNSHIPS, AND TO REALIZE I’D HAVE TO EHER KD OF IGNORE AS I GREW OLR, OR ACKNOWLEDGE BUT NEVER BE FORTABLE ACTG ON , AND TO WATCH IENDS HAVG THE FULL AND OPEN RELATNSHIPS AND FEELG THOSE WERE ROADS I ULD NEVER ACCS.”PERR, 33,  PARTMENTALIZED HIS SEXUALY, AND SAID HE STARTED THKG OF HIMSELF AS PIEC OF A PERSON RATHER THAN A WHOLE – CLUDG SOME PIEC THAT DIDN’T QUE F TOGETHER, AND OTHERS THAT FELT BROKEN ALTOGETHER.ONE NIGHT SHORTLY AFTER LLEGE, HE WAS TALKG WH HIS ROOMMATE, NATHAN, THEIR NEW APARTMENT. THERE WAS NO FURNURE YET – THEY’D JT MOVED – SO THEY WERE STG ON THE LIVG ROOM FLOOR, TALKG AND DRKG WE. CATL CID TO E OUT TO HIM. GIVEN THEIR SIAR UPBRGG, HIS IEND AND ROOMMATE ULD HAVE REACTED ANY NUMBER OF WAYS.“WE TALKED ABOUT HOW I ALWAYS FELT PARTMENTALIZED, AND HOW I ULD RENCILE MY FAH AND MY SEXUALY AND E TO MY OWN AS A WHOLE PERSON. WE DRANK WE AND WE CRIED OUT. IT WAS BIG. NATHAN WAS MASSIVELY IMPORTANT MY G OUT EXPERIENCE AND TO MY LONG JOURNEY TO FEELG PLETE,” PERR SAID. “WHEN I LOOK BACK, I HAD A LOT OF PERFECTLY LEGIMATE REASONS TO BE SRED AND HANT TO TALK TO ANYBODY ABOUT WHAT I WAS GOG THROUGH. BUT WHEN YOU START TO CRACK THAT, YOU WILL FD THERE ARE PEOPLE AROUND YOU WHO GET , WHO WILL LOVE YOU REGARDLS. FD THOSE PEOPLE. TALK TO THEM. AND REGNIZE THOSE PEOPLE ARE GOG TO BE ON A JOURNEY, TOO, AND THAT YOU N HELP RM THEIR PERSPECTIVE AS WELL, BOTH NOW AND FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD.”PERR WAS PURSUG A TEACHG GREE WHEN HE CID TO TAKE A SEMTER OFF AND APPLY FOR A JOB AT STARBUCKS, MALY FOR THE HEALTH SURANCE. NOW, 14 YEARS LATER, PERR IS A DISTRICT MANAGER OF 18 LICENSED STARBUCKS STOR LOS ANGEL.LIKE HIS NVERSATNS WH NATHAN, STARBUCKS WOULD ALSO PROVE STMENTAL TO PERR FDG THE URAGE TO E ALL THE WAY OUT. SHORTLY AFTER HE STARTED HIS JOB, HE MENTNED SOMEONE HE WAS SEEG TO A -WORKER. HE WAS REFUL NOT TO E PRONOUNS – BUT WHEN THEY ASKED IF HE WAS DATG A MALE OR FEMALE, HE CHOSE TO ANSWER HONTLY. ““HER REACTN WAS KD OF ‘OL, WHATEVER.’ IT WAS ALMOST BLASé, WHICH WAS POWERFUL. THAT HAS STUCK WH ME,” HE SAID. “MY GROWG UP AND G OUT AND BEG A WHOLE PERSON AND STARBUCKS, THEY’RE ALL TIED TOGETHER. THAT NFINCE GOT BUILT HERE. AT STARBUCKS I GOT TO SEE ADULTS WHO WERE SUCCSFUL THEIR REERS AND SAME-SEX RELATNSHIPS THAT WERE LOVG AND RG, AND THEY WERE THE FIRST ON I EVER SAW. SO MANY PEOPLE AT STARBUCKS WILL NOT ONLY ACCEPT YOU, BUT CHEER FOR YOU AND BE YOUR RNER AND WANT TO SEE YOU BE SUCCSFUL.”PERR TYPILLY CELEBRAT PRI OUTSI ENJOYG THE BETIFUL SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WEATHER, BARBECUG WH IENDS AND ATTENDG THE PARA. THIS YEAR, MORE THAN EVER, HE’S LOOKG FOR OPPORTUNI TO SUPPORT PEOPLE AND MUNI STILL FIGHTG FOR EQUALY.“WHEN I THK ABOUT THE ARC OF THE GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT, PRI MEANS A LOT OF THGS – A CELEBRATN, A VICTORY MARCH, A RISTANCE RALLY, A LL TO BE BETTER AND MORE CLIVE AND MORE EQUABLE,” PERR SAID. “PRI IS ALSO MUNY, AND MUNY N MEAN LOTS OF THGS, TOO. IN THE MIDDLE OF A PANMIC, THAT MUNY WILL LOOK REALLY DIFFERENT THAN DID A FEW MONTHS AGO – I MEAN, THERE ARE ZOOM NIGHT CLUBS WH PEOPLE DANCG AROUND THEIR LIVG ROOMS. AND THERE ARE ALL THE GLIMPS OF THE BETTER SIS OF HUMANY, AND HOW WE ARE FIGURG THGS OUT TOGETHER AS THGS HAVE GOTTEN REALLY WILD. FOR ME, AS AN LGBTQ MUNY, WE ALSO HAVE A RPONSIBILY TO KEEP FIGHTG FOR EQUALY PLAC AND MUNI AND FOR PEOPLE FOR WHOM ’S NOT HAPPENG. THERE’S A LOT OF WORK LEFT TO DO THERE. PRI MARKS THAT PROGRS, NTUALLY.”SHARE THIS ARTICLESHARE ON FACEBOOKSHARE ON TWTERSHARE ON LKEDINSHARE EMAILREAD MORESTARBUCKS MILARY COMMMENT BY THE NUMBERS

Dunk' Donuts didn't fare too well a 2008 study by PlaOut which purports to quantify "gay-iendls.

GAY LIFE BERL IS STARTG TO ECHO A DARKER ERA

Along wh Wal-Mart and Exxon-Mobil, Dunk' Donuts was lled one of the least gay-iendly pani Ameri, which, at least acrdg to PlaOut's metrics, is a pl my book.

Bravo and Apple were among the most gay-iendly pani - not exactly "good pany" to be .

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* STARBUCKS PRO LGBT

Comment on this story</tle><path d="M14 14V2H2v9.47h8.18L12.43 13ZM3 10.52V3h10v9.23l-2.5-1.66Z"></path></svg></button><span aria-hidn="te" class="wpds-c-fBEbFG">Comment</span><span class="wpds-c-fOvfhP wpds-c-fOvfhP-kshkDy-isCommentType-te none" aria-hidn="te"><span class="ment-unt font-xxxxs sc-ral-unt"><span></span></span></span></div></div></div></div></div><div class="teaser-ntent grid-center"><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py drop-p" dir="null">Ian Miller walks quickly when he is irrated.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">He picked up his stri one recent morng as he approached the pollg lotn where employe at a Starbucks Olney, Md., were gog to ci whether to unnize. The store manager, district manager and regnal manager were standg ont of a makhift votg booth set up the parkg lot. They were talkg to a tall man a llared shirt, a lawyer reprentg the $13 billn pany, Miller later learned, as baristas trickled to the store, where they each earned slightly more than the mimum wage.</p></div></div><div></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">In recent weeks, managers had spoken to all 18 unn-eligible workers at this Starbucks. They talked about the pany’s pay (more genero than other retail stor) and benefs (set to crease the g months). They ma everyone watch a vio where Starbucks founr Howard Schultz lled the pany a “fay” unr siege by “outsi forc.” And they explaed, at length, what workers stood to lose by jog the <a href=" target=_blank>unn effort</a> beg led at Starbucks stor across the natn by young, female and queer employe.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">The were employe who had been shaped by the ph and pull over LGBTQ rights the past . The were people who entered high school as gay Amerins won the right to marry and graduated llege as nservative lawmakers phed “<a href=" target=_blank>Don’t Say Gay</a>” bills and legislatn barrg trans youth om playg <a href=" target=_blank>school sports</a>. The were employe who were told, amid a global panmic, that they were “sential.”</p></div><div class="article-body grid-full-bleed" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb dn db-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-sktop"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-none pt-lg pb-lg" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"><div>Advertisement</div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body grid-full-bleed" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb db dn-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-mobile"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-sm pt-sm pb-sm" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">The were employe who uld revive a clg <a href=" target=_blank>labor movement</a> the Uned Stat, observers said, employe like Miller, the irrated 5-foot-3, 24-year-old transgenr man barrelg toward his managers that very moment.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">“Hi,” Miller said curtly as he me to a stop, his dyed red hair peekg out om unrneath a beanie. He nodd at his supervisors, then looked at his phone to check the remag time: three mut until the first votg ssn was set to beg.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">“Why are Kev and Jay Ar hoverg over there?” Miller asked, zippg to the store. Steven Noble, 18, shgged behd the unter and told him, “They’ve been out there a while.” Miller rpond, “Well, they’re not supposed to be.”</p></div><div class="article-body grid-full-bleed" data-qa="article-body"><div data-qa="article-image" class="hi-for-prt"><div style="m-height:358px"></div></div></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Jt a few weeks ago, workers at a Starbucks nearby Northern Virgia had voted narrowly agast formg a unn, givg a rare blow to the <a href=" target=_blank>labor effort</a> that started at a Starbucks store Buffalo last December and spread to hundreds of stor sce.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Miller heard that Mid-Atlantic regn lears of the ffee cha had tensified their prsure on workers at the Northern Virgia store the days and hours before they voted. Now, they were foced here, on store #9835. He had to figure out what to do. But first, he had to clock .</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Staffg at this store had not been the same sce the panmic h. Baristas alternately found themselv alone behd the unter wh a long le of ctomers and twiddlg their thumbs wh other workers when bs was slow. Workers wanted a bigger say how baristas were reced, retaed and schled. And <a href=" target=_blank>wh flatn</a>, they wanted to be paid more.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p><span class="wpds-c-gnhuPA wpds-c-gnhuPA-hqeSyH-variant-terstial wpds-c-gnhuPA-iPJLV-css hi-for-prt"><a data-qa="terstial-lk" href=">Women and nonbary workers lead ph to unnize at Starbucks</a></span></p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Ever sce he and his fellow employe had gone public wh <a href=" target=_blank>their petn</a> to unnize, Miller had been feelg like he was ee fall, like he had stepped off a cliff on the belief that gravy would reverse. He knew he had a lot to lose, cludg his fancial stabily, his health re and his accs to tn. He had felt this way before.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Miller texted as he walked circl. He shot off a fal msage to a labor anizer, then slipped on a green apron cked out wh var ps: one wh “ASU,” Arizona State Universy, where Starbucks pays for him to go to school part-time, one wh his pronouns “he/him,” and one wh the Starbucks siren, that two-tailed mermaid that has bee the most regnizable global symbol for the pany, smokg a jot.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">As the first of his lleagu head out to vote, Miller took his post behd the sh register. “I n help whoever is next,” he lled out.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body grid-tablet-full-bleed" data-qa="article-body"><div data-qa="article-image" class="hi-for-prt"><div style="m-height:358px"></div></div></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py drop-p" dir="null">Miller was nervo about the vote but he had not, at any pot the anizg procs, been aaid. He was nfint Starbucks was not gog to fire him and, maybe more importantly, he was nfint he would be fe even if they did. Miller kept this belief close: Life n be rema as readily as n be upturned. He had done all before.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Miller was born Ennis, Tex., the send child to a Southern Baptist and a Catholic. His fay oriented their liv around nservative Christian ruals as they moved around the South and the Midwt, settlg eventually the cy of Wilson North Carola. This was the only environment Miller knew growg up, but even as a child, he said later, so much of did not su him. The illy drs and pigtails. The strgent l dividg s and virtue. The judgment passed hhed whispers at church.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Miller did not unrstand why seemed like he was the only one who had never actually heard<i> </i>the voice of God. He wonred if there was somethg wrong wh him and if maybe that was why he had no iends. He drew close to his mother, a p and protective woman.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">By middle school, Miller stopped gog to Sunday service. By high school, he was spendg most of his ee time ont of a puter, makg art or msagg wh people he met onle. It was on YouTube that he first me across the word “trans.”</p></div><div class="article-body grid-body grid-center" data-qa="article-body"><div data-qa="article-image" class="hi-for-prt"><div style="m-height:358px"></div></div><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Miller grew even more whdrawn as puberty transformed his body. Lookg at a mirror or hearg people ll him “young ma’am” sometim ma him sick.</p><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Then 2016, he enrolled at North Carola State Universy. At orientatn, he met a stunt who said he was genr queer and out. But even though 1 6 members of his Generatn Z <a href=" target=_blank>intifi as</a> LGBTQ, Miller had never met anyone person who was openly queer. By the time hman year was up, Miller had started to transn.</p><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">He “masked” when he had to go home, takg off the brs that kept his cht flat and lettg down his dark, curly hair. But the more he embraced his genr inty at school, the more difficult was to playact a different versn of himself at home. He wanted to start hormone treatment but knew he would not be able to hi that om his parents, who had ma clear long ago that they would cut him off if he ever me out as queer.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-full-bleed" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb dn db-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-sktop"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-none pt-lg pb-lg" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"><div>Advertisement</div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body grid-full-bleed" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb db dn-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-mobile"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-sm pt-sm pb-sm" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">In his sophomore year, Miller started skippg class. He stggled to get out of bed and to eat, slippg to a state that afflicts a <a href=" target=_blank>vast majory</a> of trans youth and kills them at a higher rate than their cisgenr peers.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">“I didn’t see a future for myself,” Miller remembered of that perd. “All I wanted to do was disappear. But somethg kicked . I don’t know what to ll ,” he ntued. “An urge to survive.” Miller started seeg a therapist. Then September 2018, a ltle before his 21st birthday, he drafted a letter to his parents.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body grid-tablet-full-bleed" data-qa="article-body"><div data-qa="article-image" class="hi-for-prt"><div style="m-height:358px"></div></div></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Miller told them what had been like for him growg up. How, for years, he had wanted to “tear off his cht.” He told them he had thought for a long time about his genr inty, and that regardls of whether they approved, he was transng. He had chosen a new name for himself, he wrote: “Ian Jam.” It beme his legal inty December 2019.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><div id="gift-share-le" data-ttid="gift-share-le" class="PJLV PJLV-ilotWTr-css hi-for-prt"><button aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-expand="false" aria-ntrols="gift-share-drawer" role="button" tabx="0" aria-label="Share this article" id="gift-share-drawer-ntrol-le" data-ttid="gift-share-drawer-ntrol-le" class="wpds-c-PJLV wpds-c-gsmDXe wpds-c-gsmDXe-goNocI-placement-Inle foc-highlight"><div data-ttid="gift-share-terstial-trigger" class="wpds-c-kPqOkS wpds-c-kPqOkS-jtSXsT-hasSubsText-false"><span class="wpds-c-hBJqc"><span class="wpds-c-dzSncg">Share this article</span></span><span class="wpds-c-eCvK"><span class="wpds-c-enedHQ wpds-c-enedHQ-cCdK-isShown-false">Share</span><svg xmlns=" fill="currentColor" viewBox="0 0 16 16" aria-hidn="te" focable="false" role="img" class="wpds-c-fBqPWp wpds-c-fDHGth"><path fill="currentColor" d="M8 .6v3.8h.1c-4.4 0-7.3 4.5-6.9 8.8.1.8.2 1.2.2 1.2l.2 1 .4-1.3c.8-2 2-4 6.2-3.9H8v4l7-6.9L8 .6Zm1 11.3V9.3h-.9c-3 0-4.8.5-6.2 2.9.5-3.3 2.7-6.8 6.2-6.8H9V3l4.5 4.4L9 11.9Z"></path></svg></span></div></button></div></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">His father read the letter first then his mother. She rpond over email: “I nnot breathe, I nnot eat, I nnot functn.” Miller did not reply. Fifty mut later, she emailed aga: “You are a girl and you always will be.”</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">“I keep thkg I will awake om this nightmare,” she ntued. “I don’t know if I n go on livg like this wh you jt gone. There is now a black cloud over everythg. I’ve never been so hurt.”</p></div><div class="article-body grid-full-bleed" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb dn db-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-sktop"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-none pt-lg pb-lg" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"><div>Advertisement</div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body grid-full-bleed" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb db dn-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-mobile"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-sm pt-sm pb-sm" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Miller eventually replied, exchangg dozens of emails, text msag and lls wh his parents. But his mother,<b> </b>who Miller scribed as a stnchly nservative supporter of Donald Tmp, never me around. His parents cled to speak to The Washgton Post.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Wh a year left until graduatn, Miller dropped out of llege and moved to Maryland to be wh his partner, also a trans man. He did not have a r or much the way of savgs. He had never had a full-time job but he knew then he need one. Starbucks, he had read onle, offered trans health benefs for employe. A store not far om him, an hour by foot, had a vancy. Miller started walkg.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-full-bleed" data-qa="article-body"><div data-qa="article-image" class="hi-for-prt"><div style="m-height:358px"></div></div></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py drop-p" dir="null">The barista peered at the ont wdow as he wiped down a metal pcher. Ctomers had been streamg all day, askg for the “unn y” ffee. Now, a small crowd of them had gathered outsi the store. Miller wanted to troduce himself but he did not have time. Mobile orrs were rollg .</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">David Mott, 71, was huddled outsi, along wh a Maryland state legate, a Montgomery County uncil member and a handful of activists om the Democratic Socialists of Ameri. Mott, a retired labor anizer wh the Service Employe Internatnal Unn, lived Olney and had e to volunteer as an electn observer.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">“This is very tertg. It is so very, very different,” Mott said, bouncg as he held onto a sweatg cup of ld brew. Back his day, the labor movement was often reprented by Whe male dtrial workers, even though women and people of lor often ma signifint ntributns. The recent revival of labor actn, Mott said, was not like that.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">The unnizatn effort at the Starbucks Buffalo last year had been visibly led by two young women. In New York Cy, Black men were creded wh anizg a group of warehoe workers to the Amazon first unn. And Maryland, the first Starbucks to anize had been Baltimore, where a majory-LGBTQ workforce <a href=" target=_blank>voted unanimoly</a> to unnize their lotn.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-full-bleed" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb dn db-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-sktop"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-none pt-lg pb-lg" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"><div>Advertisement</div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body grid-full-bleed" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb db dn-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-mobile"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-sm pt-sm pb-sm" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">“This new generatn is gog to be the one to brg unns back,” said Stephanie Hernanz, a Workers Uned anizer who has been supportg unn efforts Maryland. Virtually all the Starbucks employe who have ntacted her have been LGBTQ, women or people of lor, she said, wh some as young as 18.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Many of them were drawn to Starbucks bee of the liberal ials that the Seattle-based pany poed. And many of them told Hernanz the same story: Company valu were no replacement for tangible benefs. They wanted, and need, more.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">At the Olney store, several employe left the early months of the panmic, jog the “<a href=" target=_blank>Great Rignatn</a>.” The baristas who remaed took on more durg their shifts, sometim givg up breaks and days off to ver staffg gaps.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">In 2021, as flatn picked up, their wag stayed largely stagnant. Will Gibian, a 35-year-old shift supervisor and one of the most senr employe at the store, started dog Instart liveri on his off hours to afford rent. Workers tried raisg their ncerns wh management. They said ltle changed.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-body grid-center" data-qa="article-body"><div data-qa="article-image" class="hi-for-prt"><div style="m-height:358px"></div></div><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">For Miller, the panmic brought on other transformatns. He grew closer to his partner’s fay Maryland. He enrolled llege for a gree social psychology and started makg art aga, agated by the equi that were exposed by the <a href=" target="_blank" class="ntextual_lk">ronavis</a> and by the monstratns after the murr of Gee Floyd. As Republin lawmakers implemented legislatn erodg protectns for transgenr and gay youth, Miller morated onle foms for queer people om nservative and relig fai.</p><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">In April 2021, Miller went for genr-affirmg top surgery at Johns Hopks Universy. Panmic rtrictns meant no visors, so when Miller woke up om the anthetic, he was alone. Unrneath his bandag, he uld feel that his cht was flat. He wept wh joy. There is a photo his partner took of him after the operatn that Miller lik to show people. He is lookg at a mirror, his ey st down toward the two horizontal srs on his cht. He is beamg. “Look at this,” he tells people, “and tell me that operatn was not lifavg.”</p><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Transng ma him want to live aga, Miller said. It ma him want more out of life. In early Febary, he attend a meetg at the store where his district manager Jay Ar Boac aga failed to addrs employee ncerns. A Starbucks rporate spokperson cled to make Boac available for ment. Fstrated, Miller texted a group chat he had wh the three other shift supervisors. He ma his msage pla: “Consir unn.”</p></div><div class="article-body grid-full-bleed" data-qa="article-body"><div data-qa="article-image" class="hi-for-prt"><div style="m-height:358px"></div></div></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py drop-p" dir="null">The untg started at 6 p.m. An electn official took votg slips out of the box one by one. Two ys, then a no.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">L by the settg sun, Miller watched the vote unt wh Hernanz and a handful of other employe. Everyone at the store Miller had spoken to recent weeks seemed to agree that workers should get a bigger say cidg how labor was distributed and how wag were set. But he worried. Maybe his lleagu had changed their mds. Schulz, the Starbucks executive, had recently promised more benefs to nonunnized employe. Two more nos.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">It had been a hectic day. New ctomers had e to check out the Starbucks they heard might be unnizg. Regular ctomers had wanted to chat about what was gog on. A lol televisn crew had swung by when Miller was one of only three people on shift, too few to stop and give ments. Even before he had gotten to the vote unt, Miller had been exhsted.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body grid-tablet-full-bleed" data-qa="article-body"><div data-qa="article-image" class="hi-for-prt"><div style="m-height:358px"></div></div></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">The electn official flipped over the box to show there were no more ballots. Then me the fal unt: 9 y, 4 nos. Store 9835 had voted to unnize.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Hernanz whooped. Mott, the retired labor anizer, grned at the Starbucks lawyers as he put his arms the air victory. In the g days, store managers would tack up a msage askg workers to “move away om the ‘ vers them’ feelg that has changed our work environment.” But for now, they stood quietly.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Miller clapped and lghed unr his mask, his face red om joy. “Thank you,” he said quietly to the people ngratulatg him. Miller still had two hours left his shift so as others were still high-fivg, he started walkg back to the store. He went slowly this time, placg his hand on his cht as he breathed and out.</p></div><div class="wpds-c-dhzjXW wpds-c-dhzjXW-iPJLV-css mt-md grid-center grid-body"><div id="gift-share-end" data-ttid="gift-share-end" class="PJLV PJLV-idiqKOk-css hi-for-prt"><button aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-expand="false" aria-ntrols="gift-share-drawer" role="button" tabx="0" aria-label="Share this article" id="gift-share-drawer-ntrol-end" data-ttid="gift-share-drawer-ntrol-end" class="wpds-c-PJLV wpds-c-gsmDXe wpds-c-gsmDXe-iIVoLq-placement-Shortcut foc-highlight"><div class="wpds-c-UazGY" id="gift-share-shortcut" data-ttid="gift-share-shortcut"><svg xmlns=" fill="var(--wpds-lors-primary)" viewBox="0 0 16 16" aria-hidn="te" focable="false" role="img" class="wpds-c-fVfumU "><path fill="currentColor" d="M8 .6v3.8h.1c-4.4 0-7.3 4.5-6.9 8.8.1.8.2 1.2.2 1.2l.2 1 .4-1.3c.8-2 2-4 6.2-3.9H8v4l7-6.9L8 .6Zm1 11.3V9.3h-.9c-3 0-4.8.5-6.2 2.9.5-3.3 2.7-6.8 6.2-6.8H9V3l4.5 4.4L9 11.9Z"></path></svg><div class="PJLV wpds-c-kwcHlj">Share</div></div></button></div><div class="wpds-c-hcekgi"><div class="mb-lg-mod" data-qa="ments-btn-div"><button aria-label="Scroll to the ments sectn" data-qa="ments-btn" class="wpds-c-kSOqLF wpds-c-kSOqLF-SQjOY-variant-sendary wpds-c-kSOqLF-eHdizY-nsy-flt wpds-c-kSOqLF-ejCoEP-in-left wpds-c-kSOqLF-igqYgPb-css ments hi-for-prt"><svg xmlns=" viewBox="0 0 16 16" fill="currentColor" aria-hidn="te" focable="false" role="img" class="wpds-c-fBqPWp "><path d="M14 14V2H2v9.47h8.18L12.43 13ZM3 10.52V3h10v9.23l-2.5-1.66Z"></path></svg><span></span> Comments</button></div></div></div><div class="grid-center grid-body"><div></div></div></article><div class="centered-layout grid-layout"><div class="grid-center grid-mobile-full-bleed"><div class="hi-for-prt ml-to mr-to mt-md pt-lg recirc" data-qa="recirc"><div class="flex-l jtify-center hi-for-prt"><div class="pr-sm ml-sm ml-0-ns b-l br-l bc-gray-darkt more-om-post"><div></div><div class="dn db-l pb-md pt-md"><div data-qa="newsletter" class="hi-for-prt relative"><div class="dib w-100"><div><div class="flex jtify-center align self-center center transn-all duratn-400 ease--out" data-qa="sc-newsletter-signup" aria-label=""><svg aria-labelledby="react-aria-1-aria" role="img" viewBox="0 0 100 80"><tle id="react-aria-1-aria">Loadg....

TOP