A queer couple gets cozy in Starbucks' new Christmas campaign

A Same-Sex Couple Gets Cozy In Starbucks’ New Holiday Commercial

Curtis M. Wong is the Senior Editor of HuffPost Queer Voices

Starbucks’ holiday cups are back and more inclusive than ever.

The coffee giant hit the ground running with its annual yuletide campaign Nov. 1. In a nod to the adult coloring book craze, this year’s cups feature hints of red and green, but are mostly black-and-white, encouraging customers to fill in the stylized trees, ornaments, and gifts with the hues of their choice.

However, it’s the commercial for this year’s holiday campaign, titled “Give Good,” that’s generating the most buzz. The animated clip, which also debuted Nov. 1 and can be viewed above, features a bevy of diverse families strolling through wintery landscapes. Among them are two women, who cozy up to one another with a steaming coffee cup as fireworks burst in the background.

“The holidays mean something different to everyone,” the ad declares. “This season, the cup is just the beginning. How you make it special is up to you.”

A Starbucks spokeswoman told HuffPost that the aim of the “Give Good” campaign is simply to showcase “the connections shared by our customers with their family and friends at this time of year.”

“Giving good can be as small as someone opening the door for you, or recognizing the people that enrich your life – your child’s teacher, a caregiver, a family friend,” the spokeswoman said. Calling December “a time to celebrate all the good we give to each other,” she added, “We will continue to embrace and welcome customers from all backgrounds and religions in our stores around the world.”

It’s a small, but significant, gesture from a company that’s been a proud champion of LGBTQ rights for some time, and has come under conservative criticism in the process. In 2012, Starbucks joined Nike, Microsoft and other Pacific Northwest-based corporations in publicly endorsing same-sex marriage legislation in Washington state.

Two years later, the company marked the 40th anniversary of Seattle Pride by raising an 800-square-foot rainbow flag over its headquarters in the Emerald City.

Want more? Head here.