Arts & Entertainment
Starbucks’ holiday campaign includes lesbian couple
the pair lean in for a kiss over a steamy cup of coffee
(Screenshot via YouTube.)
Starbucks is getting into the holiday spirit with an inclusive holiday campaign featuring a lesbian couple.
In the ad “Giving Good Starts with You,” a hand starts to illustrate doodles as the video reads “the holidays mean something different to everyone.”
A mixed-race couple is seen holding hands and smiling, a girl draws a picture to show her grandmother over the computer and a father helps his daughter hang an ornament.
In one scene, a lesbian couple shares a steamy cup of coffee and lean in for a kiss as fireworks go off in the background.
Starbucks ditched its classic red holiday cups this year for white cups covered in doodles of gifts, a Christmas tree and hands holding coffee. The coffee sleeves are red with the words “Giving Good” emblazoned on the front.
“This year’s cup is intentionally designed to encourage our customers to add their own color and illustrations,” Leanne Fremar, executive creative director for Starbucks, says in a statement on the official website. “We love the idea of everyone making this year’s cup their own.”
The Capital Pride Alliance presented the 2026 Capital Pride Honors at “The Audacity Brunch: In Full Fuchsia” at the Four Seasons Hotel Washington, D.C. on Sunday, June 7.
(Washington Blade photos by Landon Shackelford)
Out & About
Congressional Cemetery hosts Gays & Graves
Daylong Pride celebration blends history, remembrance, art and community
Historic Congressional Cemetery will host the second annual “Gays & Graves: A Big Gay Festival” on Sunday, June 14 at 11 a.m.
The event will feature pioneering activist Randy Wicker, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, and new public art installations and programs celebrating LGBTQ+ history. Gays & Graves is an official partner event of Capital Pride 2026.
This event is a daylong Pride celebration blending history, remembrance, art and community. Visitors can shop from LGBTQ+ and allied artists and makers, experience performances and interactive installations, and engage with programs exploring LGBTQ+ history and lived experience.
For more details, visit the cemetery’s website.
Baltimore Pride is underway, taking place from June 8-14.
The Pride Parade will be on Saturday, June 13 at 12 p.m. at Charles Street & North Avenue, followed by the Pride Block Party at 1 p.m. at Druid Hill Park. And then the Pride Festival will be held on Sunday, June 14 at 12 p.m. at Druid Hill Park.
There will be an array of additional events including: a fashion show, a “Suits and Sneakers” reception and a 5k race, among many other events.
For more details, visit Baltimore Pride’s website.
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