Posted on April 5, 2019

A collection of luxury hotels owned by the kingdom of Brunei indirectly support the abuse of LGTBQ people.

A growing call to boycott luxury hotels owned by the Empire of Brunei has led to media trouble. The hotels are operated under the Dorchester Collection brand.

The public outcry comes in response to the implementation of new Islamic laws, says CNN. The law makes make same-sex sex and adultery punishable by stoning to death.

If you support #LGBTQ rights, avoid staying at these luxury hotels. pic.twitter.com/sGr6Lv55Mc

— Gayety (@gayety) April 5, 2019

Actor George Clooney condemned the news in a recent opinion piece which caught a lot of eyes. He highlighted various hotels’ ties to the Brunei Investment Agency, which the Sultan of Brunei owns. The hotels are operated by Dorchester Collection brand, and all their social media accounts are now gone.

Ellen DeGeneres, Billie Jean King, and Elton John have joined in calling for a boycott of the nine properties, which include The Dorchester and 45 Park Lane in London, Hôtel Plaza Athénée and Le Meurice in Paris and Hotel Eden in Rome.

“Dorchester Collection is an inclusive and diverse company and does not tolerate any form of discrimination,” the company said in a statement on its corporate Twitter and Facebook accounts.

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“Although we believe in open and transparent communication, we have reluctantly deactivated our hotel social pages due to the personal abuse directed at our employees for whom we have a duty of care.” The company’s statement continues, “Our corporate social media pages remain in place. Dorchester Collection’s Code (emphasizes) equality, respect and integrity in all areas of our operation, and strongly values people and cultural diversity amongst our guests and employees.”

As of Thursday, Twitter accounts for the brands disappeared from the platform. The handles in question include @TheDorchester, @45ParkLaneUK, @LeMeurice, @BevHillsHotel, @HotelBelAir, @PrincipeSavoia, @CoworthParkUK and @Plaza_Athenee.

If You Support LGBTQ Rights, Boycott These Luxury Hotels