MIAMI – Viral video taken inside a South Florida coffee shop shows a woman targeting tourists with a homophobic rant.
The video has since been viewed more than 3.5 million times on social media.
The couple says the woman wearing a bright green dress began yelling hateful, homophobic comments at them in the middle of a Miami Starbucks off Coral Way on March 6.
In the video, the woman can be heard telling the couple that being a lesbian couple isn’t OK, “because you touch children, you rape children.”
The couple behind the camera, Cassie Yurry and Lorrin Skreec, were visiting Miami from Toledo, Ohio for vacation.
“She accused us of being predators, that we rape children, and saying that lesbians assault children and we are horrible people,” said Yurry.
The pair said they were stunned after their morning coffee run quickly became hostile.
“We are very cautious about holding hands in public or making it obvious we are a couple because that’s something that isn’t a safe thing to do for queer couples,” said Yurry.
City of Miami police were called and the woman was asked to leave.
A spokesperson for Starbucks sent Local 10 News a statement that read, in part:
“We do not tolerate any form of discrimination in our stores and take pride in creating a warm and welcoming environment.”
Yurry and Skreec said they have received overwhelming support online since the video went viral.
“Everybody in our lives is being so supportive, so it’s outweighing the hate she was spreading,” Yurry said.
The Starbucks spokesperson also said the woman was trespassed and is no longer allowed inside the store.