A number of village venues, angry over the appalling treatment of LGBT people in Russia, are boycotting the country’s vodkas in protest.
Eden Bar, Richmond Tea Rooms and G.A.Y Manchester have all expressed their dismay over the Russian Parliament’s overwhelming support for a new law banning ‘propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations around minors’.
In June, President Vladimir Putin made it illegal to hold events that promote gay rights or show public displays of affection by same-sex couples.
Foreign citizens can be jailed for up to 15 days and then deported under the law and any discussion involving gay rights or relationships in the vicinity of children will be met with harsh punishment.
Liz Done, duty manager at Eden Bar, confirmed that they have decided to stop stocking or selling Russian vodkas such as Russian Standard and the Stolichnaya range.
She told MM: “[The boycott] is not intended to hurt the ordinary Russian people, it will hopefully persuade the Russian Government to change their stance regarding gay and lesbian rights.
“We’re trying to hit people where it hurts, in their wallets.”
Ms Done could not remember who made the initial decision but described it as a knock on effectbetween the bars after becoming so outraged at the situation in Russia.
Jeremy Joseph the co-founder and owner of the G-A-Y Group said that he saw the boycott as a way of showing solidarity with the Russian LGBT community.
Speaking to the BBC he said: “There are other countries where it is illegal to be lesbian or gay, but this is shocking.
“They are taking a step back rather than a step forward. And in the last couple of weeks, looking at some of the videos and stories coming out of Russia – it’s so horrific, it’s so scary.”
He also suggested that the brands sponsoring the Winter Olympics in Sochi might also be boycotted, “unless they make a stand” when they are held in February 2014.
This is just the latest piece of controversy surrounding LGBT rights and the 2014 Winter Olympics. Last March a plan to have a gay pride house during the games was blocked by the Russian Ministry of Justice.
The International Olympic Committee is currently standing by reassurances made by Russian officials that athletes and visitors attending the Sochi Games won’t be affected by the anti-gay legislation.
However, Vitaly Milonov, part of the St Petersburg Legislative Assembly and one of the writers of the law, called on the Russian authorities to apply the gay-propaganda law consistently during the Olympics.
St Petersburg has shared a friendship bond with Manchester for over 50 years as sister cities. In the spirit of friendship, the city council has written a letter to Georgy Poltavchenko, the governor of St Petersburg, asking him to reconsider the legislation.
In the letter Councillor Sue Murphy warns that the good relationship between the two cities could be damaged due St Petersburg’s anti-LGBT stance.
She said: “It is important that our formal relationships are with cities who share our values, and we are concerned that an increasing number of people – both in this country and beyond – now believe that the City of St Petersburg is not upholding the fundamental human rights which we value so highly.”
The boycott of Russian vodka has prompted a response from the SPI Group, who own Stolichnaya and claim on their website to be the biggest exporter of Russian vodka in the world. Their chief executive officer, Val Mendeleev, told the BBC: “The LGBT community in the US and worldwide are consumers of Stoli Premium vodka globally, and as such are our stakeholders.”
He also wrote an open letter to the LGBT community on the SPI Group’s Facebook and website which said: “Stolichnaya Vodka has always been, and continues to be a fervent supporter and friend to the LGBT community.
“The Russian government has no ownership interest or control over the Stoli brand that is privately owned by SPI Group… We fully support and endorse your objectives to fight against prejudice in Russia.”
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