Elton John has joined George Clooney calling for a boycott of all hotels and properties owned by the Sultan of Brunei. That’s because beginning April 3, the small but oil rich country will punish homosexual sex and adultery with death.
Beginning Wednesday, any individuals found guilty of the offenses will be stoned to death, according to a new penal code. The punishment will be “witnessed by a group of Muslims.” Clooney called for the boycott earlier this week in an essay.
Elton John and David Furnish now join him. They run the prestigious Elton John AIDS Foundation and carry a lot of clout in popular culture. Watch for more celebrities to join the boycott. (Elton’s statement below.)
Previously a boycott was called of the Sultan’s hotels including the Beverly Hills Hotel and the Dorchester in London. For some time beginning in 2014, the boycott crippled business at the hotels. They lost a lot of business as Hollywood events ceased being held, for example, at the BHH. In time, though, the boycott lost momentum. In the last year, the BHH welcomed celebrities back to the Polo Lounge. Recently, Chanel sponsored an Oscar weekend dinner hosted by Charles Finch for celebrities including Miley Cyrus and Kristen Stewart, two people who’d be horrified if they knew the Brunei connection.
But the imminent implementation of such a horror as the Sharia Law to the people of Brunei is going to trigger new boycotts.
Here is Elton’s statement, on point as always:
“I believe that love is love and being able to love as we choose is a basic human right. Wherever we go, my husband David and I deserve to be treated with dignity and respect – as do each and every one of the millions of LGBTQ+ people around the world. I commend my friend, #GeorgeClooney, for taking a stand against the anti-gay discrimination and bigotry taking place in the nation of #Brunei – a place where gay people are brutalized, or worse – by boycotting the Sultan’s hotels.
:Our hearts go out to the good, hardworking employees of properties owned by the Sultan of Brunei, many of whom we know to be gay. We must send a message, however we can, that such treatment is unacceptable. That’s why David and I have long refused to stay at these hotels and will continue to do so. We hope you will join us in solidarity.
Here are the hotels to boycott: The Dorchester, London 45 Park Lane, London Coworth Park, UK The Beverly Hills Hotel, Beverly Hills Hotel Bel-Air, Los Angeles Le Meurice, Paris Hotel Plaza Athenee, Paris Hotel Eden, Rome Hotel Principe di Savoia, Mi Elton xx”
