In honor of the 40th anniversary of Seattle Pride, Starbucks raised an 800-foot Rainbow flag over their headquarters in Seattle.
Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz attended the June 23 raising of the flag. Officials from Seattle Pride were overjoyed to see the declaration of support.
“We are thrilled that Starbucks is showing their support for the LGBT community in this very big, very public way,” Adam McRoberts, communications director for Seattle Pride, said on the events website. “The flag flying over their headquarters will welcome thousands of visitors coming to Seattle to celebrate Pride this week and is a testament to the support Starbucks has shown the LGBT community over the years.”
The corporate giants’ support for the LGBT community has been met with criticism, including a campaign which urged coffee drinkers nationwide to “Dump Starbucks,” but Schultz continues to support the legalization of same-sex marriages even though some are against it. Schultz even told off a shareholder for criticizing the endorsement in 2012.
Seattle Pride will be held June 27 to June 29.
