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Internet Tips Barista $20K After San Diego ‘Karen’ Gets Snarky Over Mask

Barista Lenin Gutierrez says ‘thank you’ (image via GoFundMe)
In this installment of the ‘Karen Chronicles,’ a San Diego woman recently took to Facebook to criticize a Starbucks barista named Lenin who refused to ask her to wear a face mask. But the snarky post backfired and resulted in over 1,300 social media peeps donating over $20,000 in tips to a GoFundMe campaign in less than two days. “Meet lenen [sic] from Starbucks who refused to serve me cause I’m not wearing a mask,” read the caption for the photo. “Next time I will wait for cops and bring a medical exemption.” The post has been shared over 47,000 times and received over 133K comments which are overwhelmingly in support of young Lenin.

This probably isn’t what ‘Karen’ had in mind: “Listen, Karen, if you can’t be bothered to wear a f**king mask for 10 minutes out of consideration for *other people* AND because it’s store policy, then you’re not only rude, you’re incredibly selfish,” wrote one commenter. “News flash: everything isn’t about you.” “Being a Karen isn’t a medical exemption,” added another. “You’re in the store for 10 minutes max to wait for coffee, not taking a trip to Mars for 6 months. If your condition is that bad then you are half dead already and should be having your coffee delivered to you in hospice!” One person asked, “If you cannot wear a mask, why not go through the drive through?” Another wrote, “Are you really crying cause you had to wear a mask for 10 minutes to get coffee then leave? Is it really that hard? Just wear the mask, get your coffee then take it off when you leave Karen, Jesus Christ.” Several people noted that ‘Karen’ had shared many photos on Facebook in the past showing her wearing all kinds of masks – when she wanted to. “You wore all these masks,” wrote one poster. The ‘Karen’ – who describes herself as a “mother, photographer, yoga instructor, activist, and artist” – tried to troll back, but failed in epic fashion. At one point, she could only muster a lame, “Masks are stupid and so are the people wearing them.” Earlier in June, she had shared a meme that read, “I have a condition that prevents me from wearing a mask. It’s called intelligence.” It’s worth noting that, during the coronavirus pandemic, face masks are mandated for everyone in California while in public unless they have a medical condition that prevents them from covering their face. After internet sleuths identified the barista as Lenin Gutierrez, many expressed they wanted to tip Lenin for having to put up with the ‘Karen.’ And so, Matt Cowan decided to launch a crowdfunding campaign with a goal of $1,000. Cowan told the local ABC News affiliate 10News, “I set it at $1,000 thinking that was a reach but we would be lucky if we hit like $250, and when we hit $100 I was overwhelmed by that.” When the original goal was quickly reached, Cowan raised his target to $5,000, which was also surpassed in no time. “You all are absolutely incredible,” wrote Cowan on the GoFundMe page. “Update from Lenin cause he wanted to say thank you to everyone. So you are all aware, he and I will be meeting in San Diego so that he can receive all the funds in person.” Cowan also shared a photo of Lenin holding a sign which read, “Thank you everyone for the tips!!! Stay Safe.” On Wednesday, Lenin posted a video message of thanks on his Facebook and shared his side of the incident.

Lenin says that when the woman came in without a mask, he asked if she had one, to which she replied that she doesn’t need one. As he attempted to show her the official guidelines from Starbucks, she snapped back repeating she didn’t need a mask and began “cussing up a storm.” “She started calling people ‘sheep’ and she left,” explained Gutierrez. “Within a few minutes she came back and asked for my name, she took a photo of me and said ‘I’m calling corporate’ and started cussing some more at everyone and just left.” He added that he’s a dancer and before the coronavirus pandemic he’s shared his passion by teaching dance to children. He says he plans to use his sudden windfall to fund his dream of “changing other people’s lives the way dance changed mine.” A Starbucks spokesman issued the following statement to News10: We want everyone to feel welcome in our stores. We respectfully request customers follow social distancing and safety protocols recommended by public health officials, including wearing a facial covering when visiting our stores.

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Daily Dance: Leap Of Dance Academy

From the Instagram account of the Leap of Dance Academy in Nigeria, a vocational ballet school that is dedicated to providing quality ballet education to indigenous students and young artists. “With very little or no resources our kids are training to be the best they can,” reads the caption in part. “This is not to bring down anyone but to show their high level of dedication and commitment to our program.” “Who wouldn’t be proud of them? What teacher wouldn’t pray for students who show/come to class with so much desire to learn? Kids who are ready to dance with or without conditions.”

 

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FACTS ABOUT OUR PROGRAM. Behind those fanciful in class beauty and costumes are lots and lots of backstage hard work. With very little or no resources our kids are training to be the best they can. This is not to bring down anyone but to show their high level of dedication and committments to our program. Who wouldn’t be proud of them? What teacher wouldn’t pray for students who shows/comes to class with so much desire to learn? Kids who are ready to dance with or without conditions. Imagine what more we could achieve if we have more?🙂 DMs for more information. #leapofdanceacademy #covid19 #donation #vocational #nigerianballetschool #travelingtutusincnigeria #danceacademy #danceeducation #weloveyou #growth #weloveourpartners #yeswecan #dancing #learning

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Virtual Watch Party/Live Q&A Of 5-Time Emmy Winning ‘After Forever’

Join Outfest for a worldwide virtual live tweet watch party of Season 2 of the acclaimed digital series After Forever on Saturday, June 27, 2020 – 4:30 PM PST followed by a live Q&A at 6 PM PST with the cast and creators. Outfest’s United in Pride is an inclusive platform that celebrates, elevates, and amplifies the voices of LGBTQ+ filmmakers, storytellers, and creators, in partnership with Billboard & The Hollywood Reporter’s Pride Summit and Film Independent’s Project Involve. Watch at unitedinpridefest.com, or you can view the simulcast on social media @Outfest on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. Season Two of the 5-time Emmy Award-winning drama series, After Forever, picks up 6 months after the end of Season One. Brian has a new relationship and a new job, but Jason is still very present in his life. The 8-episode season continues his and his friends’ journey of love, loss, and moving on. Seasons one and two of After Forever are streaming now on Amazon Video. Check out the trailer for Season Two below.

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News Round-Up: June 24, 2020

Some news items you might have missed: • CBS Sports: Major League Baseball is set to return starting either July 23 or 24, the league has announced. It’s worth noting that 40 MLB players and staff members reportedly tested positive for the novel coronavirus in recent days. • Billboard: Former President Barack Obama is set to deliver a special message to the LGBTQ community for the 3rd annual Stonewall Day virtual event. He will be joined by major stars such as Taylor Swift, Demi Lovato, Katy Perry and more, who will be offering their own messages of support, while pop superstars Kesha and Hayley Kiyoko will take to the digital stage for special performances. The Stonewall Day 2020 livestream on Logo’s YouTube and Facebook pages from 12:45 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET on Friday, June 26. • NewNowNext: Also on Friday, the cast of FX’s Pose will reunite for “Pose-A-Thon,” a commercial-free, one-hour online kiki with the cast and creative team of Pose. The event will raise awareness for three LGBTQ organizations: GLSEN, Hetrick-Martin Institute, and Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund. The “Pose-A-Thon” will air Friday, June 26 at 10pm ET on FX, Freeform, and the “Pose-A-Thon” website. • New Music: Lauv drops a surprise new EP titled Without You. The 4 tracks were all written and produced during quarantine. The global hottie also releases the quarantine made video for “Dishes,” the totally chill-vibe lead track for the EP. p.s. He also recently launched Breaking Modern Loneliness, an episodic podcast where each episode is a new open forum discussion on all things human relationships, mental health, and technology.

• Zillow: The massive real estate website has announced all Zillow listings will now provide information regarding local LGBTQ protections to help home buyers and renters identify which communities provide protection for all. Currently, only 22 states and the District of Columbia have laws against housing discrimination that include sexual orientation and gender identity. • Reuters: American approval of Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic has dropped to the lowest level on record since Reuters/Ipsos polls started asking the question at the beginning of March. With new COVID-19 cases surging, 58 percent said they disapproved. • Out: Actor and activist Wilson Cruz (My So-Called Life, Star Trek: Discovery) offers this subtle reminder that at the young age of 46-years-old, he ain’t playing.

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Pride Plays Presents Free Livestream Of ‘The Men From The Boys’

  A star-studded cast of Pride Plays’ livestream of Mart Crowley’s The Men from the Boys is set to include Mario Cantone, Charlie Carver, Rick Elice, Telly Leung, Lou Liberatore, Carson McCally, Kevyn Morrow, Denis O’Hare and James Joseph O’Neil. The Men from the Boys revisits the beloved characters from the iconic gay-themed play, The Boys in the Band,  years after the events of the original play. The free stream at 7 pm Eastern this Friday, June 26, will be directed by Zachary Quinto, who starred in the recent Tony Award-winning revival of Crowley’s The Boys in the Band. Sponsorship and VIP opportunities, which include a post-show Zoom party with Quinto and Pride Plays producer and celebrated actor Michael Urie, are also available. The Pride Plays season, which is presented by Playbill, benefits Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. With every dollar donated, you’ll support those living with and affected by HIV/AIDS, COVID-19 and other critical illnesses, as well as champion organizations working toward social justice and anti-racism.

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New Coronavirus Cases Hit Record Single-Day High In US

The first confirmed case of the omicron variant in the U.S. has been discovered in California.

Folks, it’s no hoax. From the Washington Post:

Across the United States, more than 36,000 new infections were reported by state health departments on Wednesday — surpassing the previous single-day record of 34,203 set on April 25. Texas, Florida and California led the way, with all three states reporting more than 5,000 new cases apiece.

Even as case numbers climb, reports circulated that the federal government is poised to stop providing federal aid to testing sites in some hard-hit states, including Texas, prompting a top federal official to respond that testing was on the rise. Since the start of the pandemic, the United States has recorded more than 2.3 million coronavirus cases and at least 119,000 deaths, while the global number of cases has soared past 9 million.

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Historic Stonewall Inn Could Become Another COVID-19 Casualty

The historic Stonewall Inn (image via GoFundMe)
The Stonewall Inn, birthplace of the historic ‘Stonewall uprising’ in 1969, could become another casualty of the coronavirus pandemic. After being shuttered for months due to the COVID-19 health threat, the owners of the venue launched a GoFundMe campaign writing, “The Stonewall Inn faces an uncertain future and we are in need of community support!” The Stonewall riots – which stretched over three nights beginning on June 28, 1969 – became a defining moment in LGBTQ history when patrons became tired of police raids and stood up to the police brutality. The site has become so ingrained in the DNA of the fight for LGBTQ rights, the Stonewall Inn became the first LGBTQ historic site to be designated a national monument in 2016. “Stonewall will be our first national monument to tell the story of the struggle for LGBT rights,” said President Obama at the induction of the Stonewall Inn as a national monument. “I believe our national parks should reflect the full story of our country, the richness, and diversity and uniquely American spirit that has always defined us.”
Stonewall Inn becomes a national monument in 2016 (photo: Flickr/Interior Dept – CC License)
Intoning the “brave souls who first stood up for their rights and the rights of others,” the owners candidly ask for help in saving “one of the LGBTQ+ communities most iconic institutions.” “Our doors have been closed for over three months to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of patrons, staff, and the community,” reads the appeal from the owners on their GoFundMe page. “Even in the best of times it can be difficult to survive as a small business and we now face an uncertain future.” “We resurrected the Stonewall Inn once after it had been shuttered – and we stand ready to do it again – with your help,” the owners continue. “We worked diligently to resurrect it as a safe space for the community and to keep the Stonewall Inn at the epicenter of the fight for the LGBTQ+ rights movement.” Launched on June 13, the campaign has raised just over $19,000 at this writing, with a goal of $50,000. A separate crowdfunding campaign was launched in early April to help support the staff and employees of the Stonewall Inn. That effort has garnered over $22,000 in donations to date. In addition to running the tavern, the owners also operate the Stonewall Gives Back Initiative, an approved IRC 501(c)(3). The non-profit charitable organization is committed to eliminating the social intolerance that is profoundly impacting the lives of LGBTQ citizens throughout America and abroad through awareness campaigns, educational programming, fundraising and candid public dialogue. The Stonewall Gives Back Initiative supports grassroots organizations scattered across the country and especially those in communities where progress toward equality has been slow and the negative impact of ongoing acts of discrimination and harassment can no longer be tolerated.

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Appeals Court Orders Judge To Dismiss Case Against Michael Flynn

Michael Flynn (photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr)
From the New York Times:

A divided federal appeals court panel ordered an immediate end on Wednesday to the case against Michael T. Flynn, President Trump’s former national security adviser — delivering a major victory to Mr. Flynn and to the Justice Department, which had sought to drop the case.

In the ruling, two of three judges on a panel for the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ordered the trial judge overseeing the matter, Judge Emmet G. Sullivan, to immediately dismiss the case without further review. The third accused his colleagues of “grievously” overstepping their powers, and the full appeals court has the option of reviewing the matter.

The order — a so-called writ of mandamus — was rare and came as a surprise, taking its place as yet another twist in the extraordinary legal and political drama surrounding the prosecution of Mr. Flynn, who twice pleaded guilty to lying to F.B.I. agents in the Russia investigation about his conversations in December 2016 with the Russian ambassador to the United States.

Trump fired Flynn in early 2017 for lying to Vice President Pence and other colleagues about what he and the Russian ambassador discussed in December 2016. Flynn then agreed to cooperate with the investigation led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller and plead guilty to one count of making a false statement when F.B.I. agents had questioned him about the conversations. But after pleading guilty, he reversed course last year and sought to withdraw his guilty plea.

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New York: Two Out Black Candidates Win Primaries, Set To Make History

L-R Mondaire Jones, Ritchie Torres (images via campaigns)
New York City Councilmember Ritchie Torres won the Democratic primary for New York’s 15th Congressional District, defeating virulently anti-LGBTQ opponent Rubén Díaz Sr. and putting him on track to become the first openly LGBTQ Afro-Latinx member of Congress. The seat is one of the safest in the country for Democrats, almost guaranteeing Torres will win in November. He will join Mondaire Jones, who also won his primary for New York’s 17th Congressional District last night in a safe district, in becoming the first two Black openly LGBTQ members of Congress when they win in November. Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund, released the following statement about Torres’ and Jones’ primary victory:

“Voters in the Bronx rejected the politics of bigotry and instead put Ritchie on track to become the first openly LGBTQ Afro-Latinx member of Congress. At a time when our country is divided and we confront the realities of racism and police brutality, it is essential we have a voice like Ritchie’s fighting to turn the demands of protesters into legislative change at the federal level.

“Richie and Mondaire have shattered a long-standing political barrier with their primary wins, putting them on track to becoming the first two openly LGBTQ Black members of Congress. Black LGBTQ people – like all LGBTQ people – are severely underrepresented at every level of government, but this gives hope that we are moving toward building a U.S. Congress that is more representative of the people it serves.”

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News Round-Up: June 23, 2020

Michael and I have been adopted by 14-year-old beagle rescue, Snoopy
Some news items you might have missed: • Dog Life: I wanted to share a new addition to our family here at The Randy Report,  the handsome Snoopy (above), a 14-year-old beagle rescue. After serious consideration, Michael and I decided we didn’t want Snoopy to live his last years without a forever family, and we feel that this journey will be completely different from our 23 years raising the ‘dachshund dynasty’ from puppyhood. Snoopy is settling in quite well, and we can’t wait to spoil him with attention and love. • ESPN: Thomas Beattie, a British former pro footballer for Warriors FC in Singapore, came out as gay in an essay for ESPN on Tuesday. “I prayed that I would wake up and this would all disappear, although deep down I knew I was praying for the wrong thing. I needed to ask for the strength to accept myself.” • New Music: St. Panther shares her latest single/music video, “These Days,” was written in memory of a friend who overdosed on the night of his birthday. “This song is my real-time experience with re-establishing a new relationship to life in the days following through the simple act of making it to the next day,” the artist explains. The track blends raw feeling over a hypnotic hybrid of soul swagger, jazz eloquence, and hip-hop heat. The video was created by the artist herself.

• Spectrum News: Donnie Lee Barrigar, a self-described flat-earther, recorded himself taking down a Pride flag flying over City Hall in Watertown, NY, and throwing it away. In posting his video online, Barrigar wrote the First Amendment gives him the right to do what he did. Last year, before a pride event in the city, he posted to social media how he wished a mass shooting would happen. Gov. Cuomo has directed the New York State Police to assist Watertown Police in this investigation. • Reuters: The organizers of Singapore’s annual gay pride Pink Dot rally vowed on Tuesday to push ahead with an online event after nearly 30,000 people signed a petition demanding restrictions and called the content “immoral”. • Baltimore Sun: A video went viral after a Black child was denied entry to Baltimore’s Ouzo Bay restaurant due to its ‘dress code’ while a white child was captured in the same video wearing the same clothing finishing his meal. The parent company, Atlas Restaurant Group, issued an apology.