Sydney sober over Russian vodka

The boycott of Russian vodka by gay bars and clubs around the world has reached Australia, in response to laws introduced by the Kremlin that have widely been labelled homophobic.

Sydney’s The Gay Bar in Darlinghurst last week confirmed it would no longer stock Russian vodka.

Russia’s parliament collectively outlawed the distribution of “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations” two months ago, making it illegal to equate straight and gay relationships.

The law allows police officers to arrest tourists and foreign nationals they suspect of being homosexual, lesbian or “pro-gay” and detain them for up to 14 days.

Peter Tatchell, an Australian-born British human rights campaigner, condemned Russia’s actions.

“The Russian Government has passed a draconian new homophobic law that criminalises any public expression of gay identity and any public advocacy of gay human rights,” said Mr Tatchell. “It is part of a wider attack on civil society.”

Mr Tatchell has been involved in a prolonged campaigned for gay rights in Russia, after attending the first Moscow Pride Festival in May 2006.

Following the 2006 event, Moscow’s government banned pride parades for 100 years. Mr Tatchell returned to Moscow in May 2007 to voice his opposition to the ban. He was subsequently punched and almost knocked unconscious.

The campaign to boycott Russian vodka was sparked by US columnist Dan Savage last month.

“To show our solidarity with Russian queers and their allies and to help 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,” said Mr Savage.

Two leading Russian brands of vodka, Stolichnaya and Russian Standard, have been targeted, but owners of Stolichnaya published an open letter last week criticising the “dreadful actions taken by the Russian government”.

Val Mendeleev, Chief Executive of the SPI Group who owns the product, said “Stolichnaya vodka has always been, and continues to be, a fervent supporter to the LGBT community”.

In recent years, there has been a wave of attacks on gay youths in Russia.

“There has been a wave of organised homophobic violence targeting individual LGBT people, mostly by neo-Nazis, skinhead gangs and ultra-nationalists – often with links to [Vladimir] Putin’s party,” said Mr Tatchell. “Some of the victims have been tortured or killed. The police are doing little or nothing to bring the perpetrators to justice.”

“Russian LGBT organisations and international human rights groups have appealed to the Russian Government to scrap the anti-gay law and to crack down on homophobic violence. These appeals have been ignored.”

Hopes remain the campaigns will raise global awareness to compel the Russian Government to reassess its gay suppression.

“The Kremlin is sliding back toward the homophobia of the Stalin era,” said Mr Tatchell.

“This vodka boycott is the first phase in a rolling programme of protests that are designed to raise public awareness and make the Putin regime think twice before escalating its anti-gay crackdown.”