The boycott of Russian goods, mainly Stolichnaya Vodka, has gained momentum over the last week.
Despite the company speaking out against the boycott and explaining in a letter that it has always backed the LGBT community, bars across the U.S., Europe and Canada have stopped serving Stoli. And now local bars have decided to dump the vodka in protest of treatment of LGBT people in Russia.
Randy Norman, who owns Rainbow Lounge and Best Friends Club in Fort Worth and Randy’s Club Cherries in Dallas, posted on Facebook last night that the three bars will official dump Stoli tonight at 6 p.m. at the locations:
Howard Okon, who owns The Brick and Joe’s, also sends word that he’s stopped serving Stoli. He said the compnay continues to tout its LGBT support, but they didn’t sponsor Dallas’ June Pride event Razzle Dazzle Dallas this year after being the major liquor sponsor the past two years.
“They had been a big sponsor of Dallas,” he said. “It left us to scramble to find another sponsor.”
Okon was in charge of sponsorships for the event and said the company said they were pulling out of the gay market. It would’ve been different, he said, if Stoli was changing Dallas venues, such as deciding to sponsor Black Tie Dinner instead of Razzle. He said he won’t serve Stoli until the company offers an explanation or invests in Dallas’ gay community again.
Kristi Holman, co-owner of lesbian bar Eden Lounge, said the bar has joined the boycott and will no longer serve or order Stoli.
“If there’s something that a group of us can do, the more of us the better,” she said.
