Very soon the Russian government itself, which bans positive portrayals of LGBT people, may be the beneficiary of the goodwill earned by Stoli's distributors and bars over the years.
The Stoli story is complicated by decades of lawsuits whereby the actual Government of Russia has laid claim to the Stolichnaya brand name. Sidetrack cannot support a brand so associated with Russia at a time when Russia is implementing (against strong world criticism) it's anti-gay law that bans gay 'propaganda'. Tonight you might notice that Sidetrack has removed Stolichnaya Vodka from our shelves. Dan Savage was the first to call for a boycott on Russian vodka, inventing the hashtag #dumpstoli and #dumprussianvodka.Īt least one gay bar, Chicago's own Sidetrack Video Bar, has taken up the call. The first tourists arrested under the law were thrown in jail three days ago.Īs a result, gay groups and activists throughout the United States have been calling for action. A violation of this law, which could include anything from marching in a pride parade to just wearing a gay-themed t-shirt in public, can result in a jail sentence followed by deportation.
The latest law: a ban on 'LGBT propaganda' that affects tourists as well as citizens was signed into law on June 30. Logo via Slog.In case you haven't been following international LGBT politics lately, Russia has been getting progressively crazier and crazier in its attempts to repress all attempts at gay activism within its borders.
