The 2017 cup shows two terlocked rtoon hands. Some nservativ acce the pany of promotg a “gay agenda.”
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LOVE: MEET THE SIGNER OF THE STARBUCKS PRI CUP PEOPLE ARE BUZZG ABOUTBY LDA DAHLSTROM • JUNE 02, 2019 • 5 M READSHARESHARE ON FACEBOOKSHARE ON TWTERSHARE ON LKEDINSHARE EMAILON THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF PRI, BRENN MENDOZA CREATED A NEW 24-OUNCE TUMBLER THAT’S A TRIBUTE TO LOVE ALL FORMS, SOLIDARY AND THE JOY OF DANCG TO YOUR OWN BEAT. THE CROSS-STCHED TABLE IS ONLY A FEW CH ACROSS, BUT TO BRENN MENDOZA, REPRENTS ALL OF LIFE’S BIGGT DREAMS: TO LOVE AND BE LOVED. AGAST A WHE BACKGROUND, CREATED THREAD, ARE TWO MEN STANDG TOGETHER, ONE WH GLASS AND THE OTHER WEARG A RED STOCKG P, SEPARATED BY ONLY A HEART. “YOU + ME,” IS EMBROIRED BENEATH THE TWO FIGUR. IT WAS PASTAKG CRAFTED BY MENDOZA’S LONGTIME LOVE, JOMAR TAGATAC (THE ONE THE RED STOCKG P), OVER MANY HOURS ONE WTER AND THEN GIVEN TO HIM AS A VALENTE’S PRENT. IT SS NEXT TO MENDOZA’S SK AT THE STARBUCKS SUPPORT CENTER, THE PANY’S SEATTLE HEADQUARTERS, REMDG HIM WHAT IS TO BE TLY SEEN, LOVED AND APPRECIATED FOR WHO HE IS. IT’S NOT SOMETHG EVERYONE GETS TO EXPERIENCE, HE KNOWS.MENDOZA, A CREATIVE MANAGER, IS THE SIGNER OF THIS YEAR’S STARBUCKS RSABLE PRI LD CUP, A 24-OUNCE TUMBLER THAT POPSUGAR LLS “A GEO RABOW DRKG VSEL.” WOVEN TO THE IRISCENT RABOW STRIP ON THE CUP IS A SIMPLE MSAGE: LOVE. (OR AMOUR, IF YOU BUY THE CANADIAN VERSN.)SBX06012019 PRI CUPS (1)DOWNLOAD“THE RABOW IS AN CREDIBLE SYMBOL, AND HOLDS SO MUCH POWER,” HE SAID. HE AIMED TO CREATE A CUP THAT WOULD BE CLASSIC ENOUGH TO STAND THE TT OF TIME, H LOOKG SO THAT WOULD FEEL OF THE MOMENT, BE CELEBRATORY, BUT ALSO ENPASS ALL THAT PRI MEANS. “MY HOPE IS THAT FOR THE MUNY, ALL FEEL CLUD – THAT EXTENDS TO NOT ONLY THE GAY MUNY BUT MY TRANS BROTHERS AND SISTERS. IT’S FOR THEM AS WELL.”THIS YEAR’S PRI CELEBRATNS AROUND THE UNTRY HAVE SPECIAL SIGNIFINCE. IT’S THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST U.S. PRI RALLY, WHICH TOOK PLACE A MONTH AFTER THE STONEWALL INN, A GAY BAR NEW YORK CY, WAS RAID BY POLICE ON JUNE 28, 1969. IN THOSE EARLY MORNG HOURS, A RT BEGAN WHEN GAY, LBIAN AND TRANSGENR PEOPLE AND DRAG QUEENS RISTED ARRT -- AND A MOVEMENT WAS BORN.MENDOZA, 37, WASN’T BORN UNTIL THE ‘80S, BUT GREW UP A TIME WHEN “LGBTQ HISTORY AND ACCEPTANCE WAS STILL EVOLVG.” AS A “CLOSETED KID,” HE RELLS WATCHG TV TALK SHOWS WERE GAY PEOPLE WERE PUT ON DISPLAY AND THAT “YOU’D ASK QUTNS OF BEE THEY WERE SO DIFFERENT AND ‘OTHER’. … YOU N SEE HOW DRASTILLY THGS HAVE CHANGED THE LAST 20 YEARS.”MARK MAHONEY, A STARBUCKS STORE MANAGER CHARLTON, W. VA., SE THE PRI CUP AS A SYMBOL OF THE PANY’S SOLIDARY WH THE LGBTQ MUNY, SOMETHG STARBUCKS HAS A HISTORY OF DOG DATG BACK S. IT’S SOMETHG THAT HAS HAD A PERSONAL IMPACT ON HIS OWN LIFE, HE SAID. NEWSSTARBUCKS PRI: A LONG LEGACY OF LGBTQ CLNREAD MORETODAY, HE LLS HIMSELF A PROUD MEMBER OF THE LGBTQ MUNY – BUT SAYG THAT PUBLICLY WASN’T ALWAYS SOMETHG HE FELT FORTABLE WH. HE GREW UP SMALL TOWN WT VIRGIA AND AFTER HE ME OUT AND MOVED AWAY OM HIS FAY HOME, HE FELT VERY ALONE, HE SAID. ONE DAY, WHEN HE WAS A STARBUCKS BECKLEY, W. VA., THE STORE MANAGER VED HIM TO APPLY.“I FOUND A FAY THAT LTLE STORE,” MAHONEY SAID. “I FELT SAFE AND LOVED EVERY TIME I PUT ON THE GREEN APRON. I KNEW I WAS A SAFE PLACE THAT ENURAGED ME AND HELPED ME NAVIGATE HOW TO GROW TO ADULTHOOD, BEG PROUD OF WHO I AM. I N NFINTLY SAY THAT THIS SUPPORT AND THIS CULTURE SAVED MY LIFE MORE THAN ONCE.”‘LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE’THE LIMED-EDN CUP HAS BEEN LIGHTG UP SOCIAL MEDIA. “LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE AND I AM TOTALLY LOVE WH THE @STARBUCKS PRIDE TUMBLERS!”, WROTE ONE INSTAGRAM ER. “LOVE THE @STARBUCKS #PRI TUMBLER! #STARBUCKS #STARBUCKSPRI #GAY #GAYPRI #LOVE #LOVE WS,” WROTE ANOTHER. MENDOZA SAID HE LOV THE IA THAT A CUP BE A SUBTLE SYMBOLIC NOD TO SOMEONE'S INTY OR THEIR SUPPORT OF A LOVED ONE. MENDOZA WAS 21 WHEN HE ME OUT – STARTG WH HIMSELF. BEFORE THAT, HE SAID, “THE IA I HUNG ON TO WAS THAT I JT HADN’T MET THE RIGHT WOMAN.” BUT WHEN HE WAS LLEGE, HE TOOK SOME TIME OFF TO BACKPACK AROUND SOUTHEAST ASIA AND TEACH ENGLISH. REMOVED OM EVERYONE HE KNEW BACK HOME, HE HAD THE TIME AND SPACE TO THK. ONE DAY, WHEN HE WAS STG ON THE BEACH THAILAND, HE REALIZED THE TTH. “I LERALLY SAID OUT LOUD, ‘I AM GAY,” HE REMEMBERED. “IT WAS CREDIBLY EEG.”WHILE HE’D GROWN UP A FAY WHERE HE’D ALWAYS FELT UNNDNAL LOVE, HIS ULTIMATE FEAR WAS THAT WOULD CHANGE WHEN HE ME OUT TO THEM. IT DIDN’T. “MY MOM SAID, ‘OH, I’VE KNOWN SCE YOU WERE 3,” HE SAID. “SHE IS THE MOST LOVG PERSON. SHE’S BEEN THE BIGGT SUPPORTER MY LIFE.”MENDOZA WAS BORN BURBANK, CALIF., AND GREW UP A HOME FULL OF LIFE AND MIC, HE SAID. HE HAD A VIVID IMAGATN AND SOME OF HIS EARLIT MEMORI ARE OF PUTTG TOGETHER A DANCE ROUTE, UALLY TO A MICHAEL JACKSON SONG, AND PERFORMG FOR HIS FAY. “I’D BLOW UP BALLOONS AND N THROUGH THE HOE. I WAS PROBABLY 4 OR 5,” HE SAID. HE SAYS HE DON’T NSIR HIMSELF AN ARTIST, BUT HE DID START MAKG ART WHEN HE WAS GRA SCHOOL. ONE OF HIS FAVORE MEMORI IS OF WHEN HE WAS 2ND GRA AND HIS DRAWG OF MICKEY MOE WAS PICKED BY DISNEY TO RATE A NSTCTN WALL AT THE WALT DISNEY STUDS. HE AND A CLASSMATE, WHO HAD ALSO BEEN CHOSEN, WERE VED TO DISNEYLAND TO PAT THEIR PICTUR ON THE WALL THEMSELV, AS WELL AS TAKE A TOUR AND GET A SPECIAL PERFORMANCE BY A MARCHG BAND. AS HE GOT OLR, AND DISVERED THAT HE ULD E PUTERS TO CREATE, HE VELOPED AN TERT SIGN THAT GREW. IN LLEGE, HE MAJORED SIGN, LIKG THAT HE ULD HELP CREATE THGS THAT SOLVED A NEED.HE WENT TO WORK FOR SEVERAL SIGN FIRMS, THE AMERIN CONSERVATORY THEATER AND TGHT AT THE AMY OF ART UNIVERSY SAN FRANCIS BEFORE JOG STARBUCKS’ CREATIVE TEAM ALMOST FIVE YEARS AGO. DURG HIS TIME SO FAR WH STARBUCKS, HE’S SIGNED EVERYTHG OM THIS YEAR’S CUP TO ORIG RDS FOR RERVE FFEE TO THE PANY’S PRI T-SHIRTS FOR PARTNERS LAST YEAR TO AN ADVERTISG MPAIGN ASIA FEATURG THE INIC FRAPPUCCO SILHOUETTE CREATED OUT OF U AND MORE. ‘HEY GIRL’WHILE HE LOV THE PROCS OF CREATG AND HAVG SOMETHG TO SHOW AT THE END OF , WHAT FULFILLS HIM THE DAYS ISN’T BEG THE SPOTLIGHT BUT RATHER KNOWG THAT WHAT HE’S CREATED BRGS SOMEONE JOY. “IN MY NEXT LIFE I WANT TO E BACK AS A BACKUP DANCER. WHO I WANT TO BE IS NOT JA JACKSON, BUT THE PERSON BEHD HER,” SAID MENDOZA, WHO NFS HE STILL MAK UP DANCE ROUT AT HOME, JT AS HE DID AS A CHILD.SCE THE PRI CUP HAS GONE ON SALE, WHENEVER MENDOZA WALKS THROUGH A STARBUCKS AND SE THE CUP ON A SHELF, HE’LL GIVE A LTLE NOD, “KD OF LIKE ‘HEY GIRL,’” HE SAID WH A LGH. SBX06012019 PRI CUPS (1)DOWNLOADWHEN HE SET OUT TO SIGN , HE WAS FACED WH THE CHALLENGE OF “HOW DO YOU SIGN SOMETHG ABOUT PRI THAT DON’T FEEL CLICHé AND I’D FEEL PROUD HOLDG MY HAND?,” HE SAID. MAHONEY, THE STORE MANAGER, SAID HE LOV SEEG CTOMERS REACT TO THE PRI CUP. “IT IS SOMETHG AMAZG, TO WALK TO A STORE AND SEE RABOW LORS AND THE MSAGE OF LOVE ON S SHELV,” HE SAID. “IT’S EVEN MORE AMAZG TO SEE THE EXCEMENT OM OUR CTOMERS AND PARTNERS. PEOPLE E TOGETHER THIS THIRD PLACE. PEOPLE E TO OUR STOR TO MAKE CISNS, SHARE LGHTER, DRK FFEE AND SHARE LOVE.” THIS YEAR, MENDOZA AND HIS BOYIEND, WHO HE MET SEVEN YEARS AGO WHEN TAGATAC PLIMENTED HIS RA BOOTS, WILL BE CELEBRATG PRI PALM SPRGS, ALONG WH IENDS – OUT, PROUD AND JOYFUL. IT’S SOMETHG SO SIMPLE THAT MIGHT HAVE SEEMED AN IMPOSSIBLE DREAM TO THE PNEERS AT THE STONEWALL INN A HALF CENTURY AGO. THOUGH TIM HAVE CHANGED, AND MANY PLAC, ACCEPTANCE IS MORE OF A REALY THAN EVER, THE MSAGE OF THE CUP OF LOVE IS ALSO A SUBTLE, IF POWERFUL, LL TO ACTN TO REMD EVERYONE HOW FAR WE HAVE E AND HOW THE WORK ISN’T DONE. “IT'S SO EASY TODAY TO BE APATHETIC OR DISNNECTED OM THE STGGL PEOPLE GO THROUGH,” SAID MENDOZA. BUT, “WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT SHOWG UP MATTERS, VOTG MATTERS, BEG VOL AND MAKG YOUR VOICE HEARD MATTERS.”SHARE THIS ARTICLESHARE ON FACEBOOKSHARE ON TWTERSHARE ON LKEDINSHARE EMAILREAD MOREPRI ISN’T JT A MONTH – ’S RE TO STARBUCKS MISSN AND OUR FUTURE
A Gay Agenda? 1 featured a diverse st of Starbucks ctomers, cludg a pair of rtoon women who were shown holdg nature of their relatnship was not specified, but some viewers saw them as a nod toward the cln of gay and transgenr vio self did not attract negative attentn. The latt ntroversy has foced stead on a pair of genr-ntral hands holdg each other on the si of the cup lked hands me to wir public attentn after BuzzFeed published an article about them on suggted the cup was “totally gay.
Issu celebrated the vio, the ordary Starbucks ctomer probably didn’t realize the cup might have a gay agenda, ” BuzzFeed that, was off to the News picked up the story of what lled the “androgyno” rtoon hands, referrg to Bible-quotg crics of Starbucks and cricizg BuzzFeed, which said had “asserted the hypothis is fact. ”The nservative se The Blaze also wad , sayg Starbucks had lnched a “gay agenda mpaign.
Ferste also appeared to be stg this one out, acrdg to a post he wrote on said this year he was foced on “buildg a iendship and wnsg to a gay black man who works at the Starbucks” he equents stead of stokg onle outrage.