Tag Archives: Politics

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.

I’d like to say I’ll miss you, but frankly, I’ve never liked you very much; good riddance to you and everyone who supported you.

Today the US Supreme Court sided favorably on two key rulings that has had the entire LGBT community waiting with baited breath; The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and California’s Proposition 8.

DOMA was ruled unconstitutional because it was deemed that it unfairly deprived of the equal liberty of persons  and violated their Fifth Amendment rights. The ruling said, “DOMA singles out a class of persons deemed by a State entitled to recognition and protection to enhance their own liberty.”

Page 20 of the opinion said: “careful consideration” standard: In determining whether a law is motivated by improper animus or purpose, discriminations of an unusual character especially require careful consideration. DOMA cannot survive under these principles.

What this means: same-sex couples who are legally married will be entitled to equal treatment under federal law– with regard to, for example, income taxes and Social Security benefits.

California’s Proposition 8 The US Supreme Court ruled that plaintiffs lack standing and same-sex marriage is declared legalize in California.

From the majority opinion: We have never before upheld the standing of a private party to defend the constitutionality of a state statute when state officials have chosen not to. We decline to do so for the first time here.

What this means: Same sex marriage is now legal in the most populous state in the USA.

Although its petty of me, I love this has happened in the state that Michele Bachmann represents in Congress.  For those not familiar with her, first let me say “lucky you”. Bachmann has spent much of her career blaming natural disasters, terrorist attacks, etc… on the “Gay Agenda”.  I’m pretty sure if a dictionary was a picture book (probably something Bachmann would endorse), if you looked up words like homophobe, racist, or xenophobe, you’d find this demented Congresswoman smiling back at you with a vacant / kind of crazy look in the eye – unsure of what I mean check out her photo below from Newsweek.

So it is with a bit of glee that I say bravo to Minnesota for joining the 21st Century and moving a step closer to legalizing same sex marriage, and with a bit of spite that I suggest putting Michele Bachmann in a padded room.  Let’s just say we are going to keep her under surveillance out of concern she may hurt herself when her tiny brain realizes what’s happened back in Minnesota.

Last week Rhode Island (RI) became the 10th state in the United States to recognize same sex marriage.  RI’s move to legalize gay marriage makes New England (MA, NH, ME, VT, CT and RI) the first region in the United States to recognize marriage equality as a fundamental right.

Six of the Ten states that now recognize same sex marriage are in New England – 60% of the entire country at the moment.   If you throw neighboring New York into the mix that means 70% of all states that recognize marriage equality that accounts for an astounding 70%.

Any doubt what part of the US is the most progressive and open? Now if the rest of the country could join us in the 21st century…

Hard to argue with this woman’s logic.