Starbucks Is Releasing New Rainbow Cups And Tumblers For Pride Month
Pride Month is right around the corner, and as anyone in the community knows, iced coffee is always a fitting way to celebrate. Last year, Starbucks rang in June with some major LGBTQIA+ organization donations, writing in a press release that it aims to "create connections over shared experiences and values ... and serve as a bridge between our stores and the communities we serve." Now, the coffee giant is taking this idea to an even bigger level with its new line of rainbow cups and tumblers.
According to the Starbucks website, the Pride cups were designed by Toronto-based artist and outspoken LGBTQIA+ activist Tim Singleton. The trio features a fresh take on the rainbow flag palette with magenta, tangerine, violet, lemon yellow, and turquoise. "It's my favorite color — all of them," remarked Singleton. Starbucks' regular seasonal 2023 Summer cups line already boasts bright, cheerful colors like the Cotton Candy Pink Luster Tumbler. But, this trio totes even bolder hues and a deeper meaning. Starbucks calls the stylistic inspiration behind the cups "a mish-mash of pop culture, queer culture, and nostalgia."
The 24-ounce plastic Glitter Cold Cup features sticker-like icons of cartoon lips and a peace sign hand against a swirled background. The Gradient Grid Cold Cup is textured with a geometric grid that blends from cyan to orange. The 16-ounce Stainless Steel Tumbler is perhaps the most vibrant offering in the lineup, a nod to the drag community dotted with stars, eyelashes, and a hand holding a rainbow fan.
Celebrating coffee-drinkers of all communities
Baristas may fight Starbucks tooth and nail over wages and working conditions, but they can be sure that their sexual orientation and gender identity will be welcomed — nay, celebrated — by the chain. Still, this Pride cup collection might be Starbucks' most transparent and enthusiastic demonstration of support for the queer community yet. And it seems that Tim Singleton, who has previously discussed the importance of big brands supporting Pride events, sees it as a way to convey a more individualized message. As the artist puts it, "It really is a story of self-expression and the unrelenting freedom to express yourself how you want, and that there isn't really one right way to do it." This Pride Cup line also marks the first installation of Starbucks' new Artist Collaboration Program, which will spotlight different designers with a series of limited-run cup collections. It hits stores across the U.S. and Canada on May 30 and is only available while supplies last.
The Starbucks Pride Network partners with the National Center for Transgender Equality, the queer-BIPOC Lavender Rights Project, and the intersex youth advocacy organization InterACT. Elsewhere in the food world, David Chang's Fuku recently dropped a new spicy chicken Pride Sando in anticipation of Pride month. The proceeds will go to longtime partner the Hetrick-Martin Institute for LGBTQIA+ youth.