Boycotting Russian Vodka Is Pointless

Russia isn’t a country that’s living in dark age ignorance, a country in which people would gladly accept gays and lesbians if they only knew about their existence. Instead, it’s a country where people have actively decided that gays are not worthy of respect, and therefore a place in which simply screaming ” gay rights” isn’t likely to have much of an impact. Neither Schrad nor I are saying that Russians’ views on sexuality are right (we’re both pretty open in arguing that they’re wrong) we’re simply saying that those views exist and therefore need to be considered. In other words any effective campaign for gay rights needs to be waged in Russia, by Russians, and in terms to which the average Russian can relate. It’s mind-boggling that anyone could find such anodyne advice to be objectionable.