The controversy of the Starbucks Christmas cup rages on, as Christians are convinced it has included a lesbian couple holdings hands on this year’s design. And Starbucks won’t deny it.
While the hands are unidentifiable as male or female on the cup, the commercial promoting it shows a female couple getting cozy over cups of coffee, before reaching out to touch one another’s hands.

This has started a controversy over whether the hands seen at the top of the cup are those of the lesbian couple as well – and the right wing is particularly worked up about it.
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Hey social media, are the "Christians" bitching about @Starbucks red cup & inclusive message yet? PS, I'm going w/the hand holders are gay 😁 pic.twitter.com/eDrwEIenHt
— Krista 😸 (@durantigger) November 1, 2017
The new Starbucks cup has lesbian couple on it. Rom 1:26 “because of this,God gave them over to shameful lust”…
— Jimmy H Peralez (@h_peralez) November 2, 2017
Why can't they just make an apolitical cup https://t.co/rLfTGJdleT
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) November 17, 2017
Why is it political? Lesbians exist, we buy coffee, we have dates at Starbucks. That’s reality. The real question is how does this picture hurt you so much that you find it be a political attack on you? https://t.co/2nEOutrUnz
— 🌈 My motto: It could have more lesbians 🌈 (@MeredithAncret) November 17, 2017
BuzzFeed reached out to Starbucks for comment. They emailed the following:
Each year during the holidays we aim to bring our customers an experience that inspires the spirit of the season, and we will continue to embrace and welcome customers from all backgrounds and religions in our stores around the world.
Watch the commercial that started it all below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53EgSWqQOwE