Starbucks Pride decorations removed because of new policy, US workers say

‘I was told that they had just implemented a new no-decorations policy. And I was like, “Right before Pride?”’ said a Starbucks employee. Photograph: Amy Katz/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

Coffee giant Starbucks is caught up in a row with a labor union over claims that workers at some of its stores in the US have been told they cannot put up Pride decorations this year.

The dispute comes as a rightwing backlash against many American businesses sweeps across the US, with conservative activists and consumers attacking expressions of support for LGBTQ+ Americans. Some of the biggest corporate names in the US – such as retailer Target and beer giant Anheuser-Busch – have been hit by boycotts.