Russian anti-gay laws prompt vodka boycott

Gay rights activists from San Francisco to New York City have been protesting the Russian crackdown on the LGBT community in a similar fashion to the historic Boston Tea Party, dumping vodka onto the streets and initiating a boycott of the popular alcoholic beverage.

“There is something we can do right here, right now, in Seattle and other U.S. cities to show our solidarity with Russian queers and their allies and to help to draw international attention to the persecution of gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, trans people, and straight allies in Putin’s increasingly fascistic Russia: DUMP RUSSIAN VODKA,” wrote Seattle-based sex columnist Dan Savage in a column last week.

Savage’s call to initiate the boycott comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin recently enacted laws that ban ‘homosexual propaganda,’ outlaw information for Russian children on homosexuality, prevent same-sex couples from adopting Russian-born children and grant Russian police the authority to arrest foreigners they suspect might be “pro-gay.”

The “Dump Russian Vodka” campaign has gained international momentum in bars, with bartenders removing vodka from their shelves in support of the LGBT community. Stolichnaya vodka is being specifically targeted using the Twitter hashtag #dumpstoli. The brand, along with other Russian vodkas, has been taken off the shelves in numerous U.S., UK, Australian and Canadian bars and poured onto streets by protesters in New York and Hollywood.

However, Stolichnaya vodka might be the wrong target. The vodka brand is actually distilled in Latvia and owned by a Luxembourg company. That company is under the control of a Russian billionaire who opposes state-sponsored prejudice, according to The Los Angeles Times.

“This campaign will only harm Latvia, Latvia’s economy and employees of the company Latvijas Balzams,” said Mozaika, Latvia’s homosexual rights group, in a statement Thursday.

Nonetheless, gay rights groups have assured the boycott’s continuance until the Russian government repeals the anti-gay legislation. In the meantime, perhaps a spike in American-based alcohol sales will ensue.