June 14, 2023

VIA EMAIL

Lynne Fox, International President

Workers United, an SEIU Affiliate

22 South 22nd Street

concerning gender affirming care.”

At Starbucks, we have a rich history of advocacy and support for our LGBTQIA2+ partners and

customers. We've worked for more than four decades to create a welcoming environment for the

LGBTQIA2+ community through inclusive policies, industry leading same-sex and gender affirming

care benefits, advocacy efforts and support for community causes. Indeed, since 2013, Starbucks

health insurance plans have included coverage for gender-affirming surgery. In 2018,

Starbucks expanded health insurance plan coverage to include procedures that were previously

considered cosmetic — including hair removal, facial feminization and hair transplants, among others.

This support has not changed, regardless of your false claims and attempts to divide the inclusive

communities that Starbucks supports. It is unfortunate that Workers United continues to knowingly

Since instituting these benefits as part of this Company’s industry-leading, comprehensive health

care offerings, gender affirming care has remained part of either the Company’s core health

insurance plan or its additional wrap plan offered to partners. Whether specific same-sex and

gender affirming care, services, and procedures are covered as part of the Company’s core health

insurance plan or its additional wrap plan depends upon the state law applicable to the Company’s

plans and, more specifically, whether the care, services, and procedures are required to be part of

Starbucks core health insurance plan offerings. The structure of the Company’s same-sex and

gender affirming care benefits has shifted multiple times over this last decade, after 2018 with the

shift being dictated by changes to state law. This is true with respect to recent changes to state law,

which require that certain same-sex and gender affirming care, services, and procedures be covered

obligation. Indeed, any alleged change would be consistent with the maintenance of dynamic status

quo.

On a related and timely note, I am also writing to express my deep and urgent concern about the

blatant fear mongering campaign launched recently by Workers United, especially the knowingly and

recklessly false statements that Starbucks corporate had “banned” PRIDE related décor in all

stores. NOTHING could be further from the truth. It is disgraceful that Workers United would take a

month of celebration, reflection, self-esteem, self-worth, and yes – PRIDE – that means so much to

so many of our 235,000 partners across the country, and use it to fear monger and sow division and

hate.

The TRUE facts are these:

our diverse partners and customers – including year-round support for the LGBTQIA2+

community.

Workers United can also find a timeline that outlines the company’s longstanding support for our

LGBTQIA2+ partners, here, that predates any involvement from your organization. A few highlights:

• 1988: Starbucks extends full health benefits to eligible full- and part-time partners,

including coverage for same-sex domestic partnerships.

• 2007: Starbucks issues Workplace Gender Transition Guidelines to support partners who are

transgender or considering transitioning to promote understanding of fair and equitable

treatment of transgender and gender-diverse partners.

• 2013: Starbucks supports transgender partners by adding coverage of gender reassignment

of procedures that were previously considered cosmetic, such as breast reduction or

augmentation surgery, facial feminization, hair transplants and more.

Starbucks partnered with the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) to

create a transgender medical policy that is inclusive of medical services that most companies have

historically considered cosmetic. Anyone who is eligible and enrolled in Starbucks health benefits

has access to these benefits.