A transgender woman has been sacked by Starbucks after footage showed her berating a female customer and allegedly assaulting a man who filmed the incident.
The clash broke out at a Starbucks branch near the ferry terminal of Southampton, Hampshire, on Sunday, April 30.
The 56-second clip shows the employee on the same side of the counter as the customer, arguing with her.
The person recording the incident said the woman had apparently said something ‘transphobic’ to upset the employee, who angrily refuses to serve her.
Footage shows the female customer saying: ‘You’re rude, don’t ever call me transphobic, ever. You do not know me.’
In response, the transgender woman says: ‘You’re calling me a man, you’re being transphobic, Karen. Now get out.’
‘Karen’ is a derisive insult imported from the US, taking aim at white, middle-aged women. Feminists have criticized it as a misogynistic term.
Read More: Starbucks sacks trans worker who accused female customer of being transphobic
