Stoli Group USA on Friday announced a
$300,000 donation to support the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center's
Leadership LAB program.
Leadership LAB (Learn, Act, Build)
helps prepare the next generation of LGBT leaders to effectively
advocate for equal rights.
“Over the last few years we've
experienced tremendous gains in freedom and equality for LGBT
Americans, but there is still much work to be done, especially in
states where organizing for LGBT equality remains very challenging,”
Lorri L. Jean, CEO of the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, said in a
written statement. “And while we're also making gains
internationally, there have been big and significant setbacks.
Extremists, acknowledging they're losing the battle here, are
expanding their influence in other countries by demonizing LGBT
people and attacking our freedoms. Their influence must be
countered. This extraordinary commitment by Stoli Group USA sets a
terrific example for all corporations.”
The announcement was accompanied by an
op-ed from Stoli Group USA President John Esposito.
“Because we at Stoli – and all
corporations that support equality – have a responsibility to help
make a difference, we have been working with our long-standing
partners in the LGBT community to evaluate opportunities to make a
significant and strategic investment in the global future of the LGBT
movement,” Esposito wrote in The
Advocate. “And that's why we have decided to partner with
the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center by pledging $300,000 over the next
three years to support a program that stands out for its potential to
narrow this divide: its Leadership LAB initiative.”
The donation follows an outcry by gay
rights activists to boycott the brand over a recently enacted Russian
law that prohibits the promotion of “gay propaganda” to minors.
Esposito reiterated that the
Stolichnaya vodka sold outside Russia “is in no way affiliated with
the Russian government.”
“The responses to the attacks on LGBT
rights in Russia show that our lives are global and interconnected,”
he wrote. “Some responded to the attacks on LGBT rights in Russia
by boycotting Stoli. It's worth clarifying that SPI Group, which is
in no way affiliated with the Russian government, has been the owner
of the Stolichnaya brand outside of Russia since 1997. The
Stolichnaya made in Russia for the local market is owned by a
state-controlled entity. We feel it is important to raise our voice
again and let the LGBT community know we share the same desire for
justice and equality. And we are invested in achieving a brighter
tomorrow for all.”