Last Wednesday Dan Savage’s post Why I’m Boycotting Russian Vodka made news with a number of prominent gay bloggers, but was barely reported elsewhere. Since then many of Russia’s leading LGBT activists have stepped forward encouraging the boycott. However, critics claim the boycott has had little traction and prominent gay bars like the soon-to-close Splash in NYC just hosted a Stoli event yesterday. Does that mean that his call to boycott Russian vodka failed? I don’t think so.
It’d be great to see gay bars stop serving Russian vodka, but even if the boycott falls short, Savage should be credited for raising awareness and fostering dialog. As John Aravosis from Americablog says, “the point of a boycott isn’t always the boycott itself…Rather, the boycott is a tool – a foil, really – to foment and galvanize public ire in a way that generates publicity…”
If the boycott temporarily drives down sales of Russian Vodka that’s fine – but what Savage and others really want is to get people talking about what is happening in Russia and have those discussions create pressure on that government to stop targeting the LGBT community.
Would you like to join the boycott? Here is a list of Russian vodkas currently available in the US: Dovgan, Gold Symphony, Standart, Hrenovuha, Kauffman , Kubanskaya, Moskovskaya, Narodnaya, Pyatizvyozdnaya, Putinka, Rodnik, Ruskova, Russian Standard, Shustov, Starka, Stolnaya, Youri Dolgoruki. The two best known Russian vodkas: Russian Standard and Stolichnaya.
You may also Tweet your support if you are into that sort of thing by using the hashtags #DUMPSTOLI and #DUMPRUSSIANVODKA.
BosGuy 
A boycott Russian-made goods and products may not be the right strategy in response. As a leading LGBT activist in Russia said (as quoted in “The Guardian”), “This is all good for attracting attention to the situation in Russia, like any other action, such as boycott of the Olympics, but it will not drastically change anything.” Stolichnaya is no longer a Government -owned company, and the vodka is no longer made in Russia. The privately-owned Stolichnaya company has loudly condemned the actions of the Putin government. A better response may be to pressure our own governments in the west to push for change, put pressure on NBC which is covering the Winter Olympics in Russia, and on the IOC. The LGBT community should ally with other pro-democracy groups and individuals inside and outside Russia to co-ordinate responses to the growing human rights abuses in Russia under the Putin regime.
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Boycotts do no good unless EVERYBODY boycotts and that rarely happens.
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I get the awareness to the LGBT situation, but to fiscally hurt a company that has no influence over Putin is short-sighted. …and you’re about the only one who has bothered to mention that there is more to Russian vodka than Stoli, though you hear no one advocating a boycott of those products – at least by name.
I would normally say that a full boycott of the Winter Games (2014) would be the only way to make Russia weaker, but you know, they don’t care.
This is a country who has cut off adoptions to all gay couples. Has cut off adoptions to all U.S. families. Will give Snowden sanctuary – oh and pretty much single-handedly holds the keys to get people to and from the International Space Station. They don’t give a fuck what the U.S. thinks.
This is also a country living in abject poverty – boycotting Stoli might get some press recognition, but it isn’t hurting Russia anymore than they already are financially
NOM and OMM boycotts did nothing to hurt Starbucks and JCP. Gay boycotts and recognition only fueled the fire for Chick-fil-A. The people backing that organization had much more press coverage than the gays boycotting and the hate that still spews from them is stronger.
Savage’s call for a boycott is wrong, though the intention to bring attention to the LGBT situation is right.
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Sadly I just don’t think the Russian Government gives a damn what other countries think. They’re proving it with their attitudes toward the possibility of gay Olympic Athletes and gay fans who may come to their country. Instead of boycotting the products of Russia instead we should put HUGE pressure on OUR government to stop ALL American Athletes from going and participating unless Russia withdraws that DISGUSTINGLY homophobic law!!!
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I agree with you, but a lesson the gay community learned a long time ago: Silence = Death
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I think it is grossly unfair to ask or expect athletes, some who have been training their whole lives for this moment, to take a stand in a political fight when their own governments can’t be bothered. If an athlete chooses, on their own, to not participate then that should be their choice to make. But the Olympics should be above politics.
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