Starbucks store sacks trans worker who accused customer of transphobia in viral footage
The incident at a Starbucks in Southampton was captured on video. (Twitter/Screengrab)
A trans Starbucks barista who accused a customer of being transphobic and misgendering her has been fired.
The incident occurred at a licensed Starbucks store in Southampton, Hampshire, on 30 April, owned and operated by 23.5 Degrees.
In a social media post, the employee can be seen refusing to serve the customer and saying: “You’re calling me a man, you’re being transphobic, Karen. Now get out.”
The woman responds: “You’re rude, don’t ever call me transphobic, ever. You do not know me.”
The Starbucks barista ends the argument by clapping in the customer’s face and saying: “You’re transphobic. Now get out.”
The employee then attempted to stop a person who was filming the interaction between herself and the customer. The clip has since gone viral on social media.
Hampshire Police said: “We received a report of an assault at Starbucks in Beresford House, Town Quay. on Sunday 30 April. It is alleged that a staff member became verbally abusive towards a customer within the premises, before assaulting a member of the public who was filming the incident.
“Our investigation into this matter remains ongoing.”
The Starbucks outlet is operated by a licensee called 23.5 Degrees, who chose to dismiss the staff member.
Starbucks has issued an apology for the incident, with a spokesman saying: “The licensee has confirmed that the partner (employee) no longer works at the company.
“Starbucks has no tolerance for behaviour of this kind and we are very sorry for the experience that this customer had.”
In March, a lesbian couple in a Starbucks in Miami, Florida, were accused of “raping children” and being “evil”, in an unprovoked homophobic rant by a complete stranger.
