Three people in the great state of California have brought a $5m class action lawsuit against Starbucks. Why you ask? Because they are lactose intolerant and will no longer tolerate being charge extra for non-dairy milk.
Dare I say, that usually when one hears the word, discrimination, lactose intolerant people, do not come to mind.
There is actual discrimination occurring…gay people being denied jobs for being gay, Black people being denied housing for being Black, women not being paid the same for doing the same job as men…discrimination involving pain and suffering beyond one’s digestive fortitude.
Lactose intolerant people paying extra for their preferred coffee drink at Starbucks, now being categorized as discrimination, is kind of a WTF moment. Does “got milk?” now mean “got a lawsuit?”
Don’t get me wrong, I do have empathy for the digestive condition which causes the malabsorption of lactose and how it impacts the lives of millions of people.
Who knew about the historic plight faced by those enduring the trials and tribulations of living with lactose intolerance? Keith Gibson, attorney for the three lactose intolerant people was quoted in The Guardian as saying, “Lactose intolerance is a protected disability under the ADA and state discrimination laws.”