A Starbucks customer’s hateful and homophobic rant went viral on social media after she accused a lesbi*n couple at a Florida coffee shop of grooming children.
The woman’s bigoted outburst was met with shock and condemnation from staff and other patrons present.
The now-infamous video, posted by Cassie Urry on TikTok on Sunday, has since garnered nearly 7 million views by Tuesday.
In an interview with The Daily Beast, Urry recounted how she and her girlfriend, Lorrin Skrbec, had traveled to Miami for a cruise to the Bahamas and stopped at a Starbucks in Coral Gables on March 6.
Urry sensed that something was off in the store’s atmosphere and soon realized that everyone was staring at a woman who was loudly spewing racist and anti-Asian sentiments.
When Skrbec verbally intervened, Urry decided to record the incident on her phone.
The video captures the blonde woman, wearing glasses and a lime green dress, making baseless accusations against the lesbi*n couple.
She suggests that homos*xuality is evil and leads to child r*pe, prompting staff and customers to speak out against her hateful words. Despite the pushback, the woman remains unrepentant and even taunts the couple for filming her.
The clip ends with the store’s manager stepping in to deal with the situation, but Urry and Skrbec were understandably shaken by the incident.
The homophobic rant has rightly been condemned, and the woman’s identity remains unknown at this time.
After the disturbing incident, Urry revealed that both she and her girlfriend were left in a state of shock.
The situation had left them feeling angry and overwhelmed with a range of emotions, but they knew that reacting aggressively would not help the situation.
Urry acknowledged that it was impossible to reason with the woman as her beliefs were based on hate and bigotry. As a result, they decided to maintain their composure and not engage further with the woman.
According to Urry, the Starbucks staff were quick to check on them and make sure that they were okay after the encounter. The coffee chain has also taken a stand against the woman’s hateful behavior.
A Starbucks spokesperson stated that the company does not tolerate discrimination and that women are no longer welcome in their stores.
Despite the distressing event, the couple decided not to let it ruin their vacation. They focused on enjoying each other’s company and making the most of their trip.
Urry acknowledged that it was important to put the incident behind them and not let it affect their time away.
