It’s one thing to document discrimination, publicly shame a bigot or even go as far as get someone fired if they behave inappropriately on the job. It’s another thing entirely to go after a massive global corporation based on the actions of one experience with one employee.
But that’s what former Marc Jacobs boyfriend/Brazilian porn star Harry Louis is doing after a nasty spat with an airport Starbucks employee.
Louis claims he was just trying to get a cup of coffee at São Paulo–Guarulhos International Airport on Wednesday morning when he approached a closed Starbucks where a female barista was setting up tables.
He asked her where he could get a cup of coffee at that hour, and she told him if he wanted one, he should go “put on an apron.”
How about we take this to the next level?
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Louis joked that no, it wouldn’t be a good look on him, and she snapped back, “Become a man and then I won’t offer you my apron!”
He later said, “I felt humiliated, because there was a line of people watching the scene.”
Starbucks has responded, putting out a statement saying:
“We are actively investigating the incident. We do not tolerate any discrimination against customers, so we are taking the necessary steps to investigate the case and make this right effective. Such behavior does not reflect our values that value by treating everyone with dignity and respect.”
Which, given Starbuck’s track record of celebrating diversity, is the exact right thing to do.
But GayStarNews reports that Louis is set to take Starbucks to court with a lawsuit.
Good luck with that one.
vive
Celebrating diversity, yeah right… After destroying all local competition and clear-cutting much of what made neighborhoods diverse.
sfhally
Or you could just accept the fact that closed means closed and quit hassling the employees because “All I want. . .”
aliengod
Harry Louis is obviously an idiot. Surely this lawsuit will be dismissed by the judge.
DarkZephyr
@vive: Starbucks is one of the most gay friendly companies you will ever hear of, and suing the whole corporation over one rude employee is nuts.
Cam
He got used to being treated like he was special when he dated Marc Jacobs, sounds like somebody is missing the attention and money.
Garth
@DarkZephyr: Nuts yes … but look at the coverage he is getting. It’s great if you thrive on attention . lol
Sammy Schlipshit
This ass clown suing is why real, deserving lawsuits have such a bad rep.
What a huge baby.
Guess maybe he is feeling neglected so will do such a stunt as this to get some attention.
MrEguy
With a còck as big as his, it’s a shame his self esteem is so tiny.
wpewen
Gay friendly or not, they’re still a horrible company.
Arconcyyon
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Luckychico
Harry Louis sound like an entitled asshole…closed means closed! She might have been trying to set up her store for the day or might have been trying to close her store and trying to go home, because people aren’t your slaves. She was not discriminating you for being homosexual she might have just been saying get your head out your ass you macho man-child stop throwing a tantrum and be a man and except that the store was closed! He really thinks highly of himself; your not willy wonks you do gay erotica films not criticlie acclaimed films by steven spielberg heterosexual men and women aren’t gonna know who you are so they might not drop everything there doing to give you whatever you want. Also Starbucks at airports are not owned by Starbucks ther licensed stores. Employees are just tuaght to make the beverages, use the machines and health standards to the local laws there not an accurate reflection of Starbucks. Case dismissed you have to take it to Brazil where the third party company who employes the person lives!
Luckychico
@vive: unless this coffee house has naturally flavored coffees and make beverages that surpassed Starbucks they eventually would have closed, I live in NYC Starbucks opened up a store across the street from the best independt mom and pop coffee shop where vanilla coffee was infused with real vanilla beans… Almost 15 yrs after Starbucks came the coffe house is still open there drinks are still way better than Starbucks…
hyhybt
@sfhally: That certainly is a rude thing to do. No indication whatsoever, however, that it happened in this case. Asking at a closed business where you can get something now is not at all the same as demanding that they serve you there.
vive
@Luckychico, that is not really how it works. I’m happy your local place has survived (so far) but it is the absolute exception. Huge corporations like Starbucks can page huge rents, driving even great local businesses out of neighborhoods. Companies like Starbucks are what have destroyed many interesting neighborhoods in NYC and many other urban areas – much of the city is now soulless anywhere-chains.
topshelf
Starbucks won’t get another penny from me. But it’s because they use the absolute grossest ingredients in their drinks, not because a stupid Brazilian coffee server insulted a stupid porn actor in an airport. He’s going to lose because Starbucks is a very pro-gay company and the employees behavior, if this is even true, was clearly not in-line with the virtues taught by the company. He could sue her personally. But he won’t do that because she doesn’t have deep pockets.
Trippy
D-LIST celeb thinking he’s entitled to special treatment. What he doesn’t realize is that a real celeb like GClooney, JuliaR, Meryl, or AndersonC would never have behaved in such a douche-y way. She should slap him if she ever meets him again.
SteveDenver
There was a line of people at a closed Starbucks?
It certainly sounds like this young woman was non-stop rude without provocation… why do I suspect we’re not hearing the entire story or that Louis was possibly BITCHY?Louis doesn’t just have an enormous dick, it sounds like he IS an enormous dick.
spiffy
Even if Harry Louis was being a D-bag — and there hadn’t been any proof that he was — that was still NO excuse for the employee to respond the way she did. Closed or open, people who provide customer services need to have some rudimentary skills and basic manners in how they interact with the general public.
And no, customers are not always right.
Paco
His account of what happened seems very incomplete. I’m guessing he had a fit or became whiny when the employee refused to brew a cup of coffee since it wasn’t during business hours. I wonder if he threw in a “Do you know who I am?” as well. His humiliation was probably self inflicted.
hyhybt
@Trippy: @Paco: @demented: asking again: where in any of this is a demand to be served? The article we’re all posting under clearly says he asked where he could get coffee at that time. Seems like a reasonable question, accepting of the fact that this place isn’t serving and asking where to go instead. What brings so many people to read it another way?
brent6696
Who cares if he sues, and or, who he sues. He is beautiful to look at, and, that is really all that matters. He is a porn star. His personal life is nothing to me.
Luckychico
@spiffy: DOES NOT MATTER you get rude you better believe your gonn get put in your f-ing place! You want good customer service be a good customer treat people with the respect and dignity you want to be treated with! Just because your a consumer doesn’t mean they have to kiss your ass…this scenes of entitlement you sound like the kind of kont that makes a big fuss if you don’t get your greeting and salutation
Tracy Pope
Is this the whole story? Did something get lost in translation? Does their exchange mean something different in Portuguese or Spanish? If not, he needs to grow up and be a man.
demented
Sounds like he left some parts of it out. It’s rude enough to demand that a tired barista reopen a coffee shop for you, but I bet he was really nasty bout it.
And I don’t think she said that because of his sexuality. She probably didn’t even know what his sexuality was. She was mocking his masculinity.
demented
@hyhybt: Assuming he is telling the truth. I’ll wait for her story before I conclude that he is, because most people don’t get THAT hostile over nothing.
And the “where can I get a cup of coffee?” at a closed Starbucks kind of has an implicit demand in it.
hyhybt
@demented: not as written, it doesn’t. Yoy’d have to add that in tone and manner, which means, since we aren’t told any, you have to add it yourself. Without that assumption (and no reason given thus far for making it) it’s just asking if they know of somewhere else that is open, just as if someone goes to the Arby’s here at 10:05, they might be told that Wendy’s is open until 1; or, at Wendy’s at 1, where to find the Waffle House.
spiffy
@Luckychico: The exact opposite. I’ve worked in retail all my life, still do in fact. It would be nice if ALL customers can treat us with dignity and respect, but unfortunately that’s just not how the retail business works. If I feel so compelled to put every rude customers in their place I’d be out of a job eons ago.
I also never said to kiss the customer’s ass; but to tell someone if they want coffee go put on an apron is not only impolite, it’s downright unprofessional.
vive
The Starbucks workers at our local airport are very surly, so this story is not outside the realm of possibility.
JaredNorthcutt30
The gheys have created this entitled egomaniac by constantly fawning over him.
JaredNorthcutt30
I would’ve put the rude asshat in his place, too. You’re a porn star and Marc Jacobs’ BF and expect Oprah-level treatment? Honey please.
NoCagada
@aliengod: And you are an expert on BRAZILIAN LAW???
NoCagada
@JaredNorthcutt30: “gheys”? Aren’t you so cute! Reminds me of teenage girls with cutesy-tootsy spelling! And you GENERALIZTION SUCKS!
Paco
@hyhybt: I read the article that is linked in this one. There it says he asked the barista “when”, not “where” he could get a cup of coffee. If there was a “humiliating” scene that a line of people noticed, it was most likely because he was causing one. I don’t know why, but the story instantly made me think of the video of the crazy lady screaming and hitting her stroller in an Apple Store.
hyhybt
@Paco: thank you.
Will L
If THAT humiliated him, I guess there’s very little chance that he could ever “become a man.” It actually sounds like she was being a good sport until he threw his hissy fit.
jwtraveler
There certainly are a lot of nasty, bitter, self-righteous queens commenting on this site.
jason smeds
To me, it sounds like the waitress was bitter and nasty. Of course, I’d like to know the context of the incident so I can’t be sure but that’s the impression I’m getting from the report.
tricky ricky
who the hell does he think he is, oprah?
Heretik
I joined Queerty just to comment on this.
Sounds like someone isn’t getting enough attention.
I'm Black, and HIV-Positive.
I don’t even know who this Harry Louis is, but all I have to say is: “What a dumb FAG!” Like he didn’t imply first that a man couldn’t be a barista before she leveled him. Not a good look?! She merely replied: “I beg to differ!”
James
She probably spit in the people’s coffee as well.