Brunei's Anti-Lgbtq Laws: Hollywood's Hotel Boycott

In 2019, celebrities and politicians called for a boycott of the Beverly Hills Hotel and Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles, which are owned by the Sultan of Brunei. This came in response to the nation's implementation of a harsh law that would make gay sex and adultery punishable by death. The boycott gained support from Hollywood stars including George Clooney, Ellen DeGeneres, Elton John, and Jay Leno. The movement also extended to other hotels owned by Brunei, including The Dorchester and 45 Park Lane in London, as well as hotels in France, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Despite criticism and boycotts, Brunei remained steadfast in enforcing its interpretation of Shariah law.

George Clooney leads calls for a boycott

In 2019, George Clooney called for a boycott of nine luxury hotels owned by the Sultan of Brunei, in protest of the country's new anti-LGBT+ laws. Clooney urged the public to stay away from the Dorchester Collection hotels, owned by the Brunei Investment Agency, which included The Dorchester and 45 Park Lane in London, the Beverly Hills Hotel and Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles, Le Meurice in Paris, and more.

In an op-ed for Deadline, Clooney wrote:

> Every single time we stay at or take meetings at or dine at any of these nine hotels we are putting money directly into the pockets of men who choose to stone and whip to death their own citizens for being gay or accused of adultery. Brunei is a monarchy and certainly any boycott would have little effect on changing these laws. But are we really going to help pay for these human rights violations? Are we really going to help fund the murder of innocent citizens?

Clooney's boycott was supported by other celebrities, including Elton John, who tweeted that he and his husband would refuse to stay at the hotels. The city of Los Angeles also showed its support, with the controller of Los Angeles, Ron Galperin, sharing the importance of rising up against the corporation.

Ellen DeGeneres and other celebrities join the boycott

In 2019, Brunei introduced new Sharia laws that included the death penalty by stoning for gay citizens and adulterers. In response, celebrities, businesses, and politicians called for a boycott of hotels owned by the Sultan of Brunei and his family. These included the Dorchester in London, the Beverly Hills Hotel and the Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles, 45 Park Lane in London, Coworth Park in Ascot, Le Meurice and Hotel Plaza Athenee in Paris, Hotel Eden in Rome, and Hotel Principe di Savoia in Milan.

Among the celebrities who joined the boycott was Ellen DeGeneres, who took to Facebook and Twitter to urge her followers to avoid the hotels in question. In a post that received over 54,000 likes and 5,000 comments, DeGeneres wrote:

> Tomorrow, the country of Brunei will start stoning gay people to death. We need to do something now. Please boycott these hotels owned by the Sultan of Brunei. Raise your voices now. Spread the word. Rise up.

DeGeneres was joined by other celebrities, including George Clooney, Elton John, and David Furnish, who also called for a boycott of the hotels. Clooney wrote an article for Deadline, in which he asked:

> Are we really going to help fund the murder of innocent citizens? Are we really going to help pay for these human rights violations?

Other celebrities who supported the boycott included Jay Leno, Richard Branson, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Stephen Fry, and Queer Eye's Bobby Berk and Jonathan Van Ness.

The boycott's impact on hotel staff

The boycott of Brunei-owned hotels has had a mixed impact on hotel staff. On the one hand, the boycott has resulted in cancellations of conferences and charity events, which may lead to financial losses for the hotels. This could potentially affect the income and job security of the staff. On the other hand, some celebrities and commentators have expressed concern for the staff, acknowledging that they are not to blame for the actions of the Brunei regime.

In 2019, the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles, one of the boycotted properties, lost more than $1.5 million in cancellations of conferences and charity events. This financial impact could have affected the livelihoods of the staff who rely on the hotel for employment. However, it is important to note that the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, has a vast personal fortune of around $20 billion, thanks largely to lucrative oil and gas exports. As one of the world's richest men, he could easily absorb any drop in bookings without significantly impacting the staff.

During the 2019 boycott, some commentators argued that the hotel staff, the majority of whom likely disagreed with Brunei's laws, would be adversely affected by a downturn in trade. One former employee of The Dorchester, another hotel in the group, expressed hurt at being "dragged into" the controversy, stating that the staff do not hold these views and are just doing their jobs. This sentiment highlights the complex dynamics of boycotts, where the intention to target the owners may inadvertently harm the employees.

While the direct impact on hotel staff is unclear, the boycott has undoubtedly raised awareness about human rights abuses in Brunei and put pressure on the country to reconsider its laws. It has also sparked conversations about the ethical responsibilities of investors and consumers when doing business with companies linked to repressive regimes. Ultimately, the impact on hotel staff may depend on the duration and effectiveness of the boycott in achieving its intended political goals.

In conclusion, the boycott of Brunei-owned hotels has had varying effects on hotel staff. While financial losses and cancellations may impact their income and job security, the boycott has also brought attention to the issue and put pressure on Brunei to change its laws. The complex dynamics of ethical investing and consumer activism continue to be a subject of debate.

The severity of the new laws

The new laws in Brunei, which make homosexual sex and adultery punishable by death by stoning, have been described as "medieval", "cruel and inhumane", and a serious setback for human rights protection. The laws also cover a range of other crimes, including punishment for theft by amputation.

The laws apply to Muslims, including children who have reached puberty, and some aspects will apply to non-Muslims. Under the new laws, individuals accused of certain acts will be convicted if they confess or if there were witnesses present. For example, if four Muslim adult men testify that they witnessed two men engaging in homosexual sex, those men could be convicted and stoned to death. Lesbian sex carries a different penalty of 40 strokes of the cane and/or a maximum of 10 years in jail.

The laws have sparked international condemnation, with many governments and politicians expressing concern and calling for Brunei to change its policies. The United Nations has called the legislation "cruel, inhuman and degrading", and the US State Department has said that some of the punishments appear inconsistent with international human rights obligations.

The LGBT community in Brunei has expressed shock and fear at the new laws, with one gay man saying that he now feels that his neighbours and family do not think he is human. The community is very hidden and secret, and individuals have reported intimidation by the police, including threats to make their sexuality public.

The effectiveness of the boycott

The boycott of Brunei-owned hotels gained support from celebrities, businesses, and politicians. Actors protested the passing of a law that allowed the death penalty by stoning for adultery and homosexuality. George Clooney, Elton John, and David Furnish were among those who refused to stay at the Beverly Hills Hotel and Hotel Bel-Air, both owned by the Sultan of Brunei. The boycott also received support from the city of Los Angeles, with Ron Galperin, the controller of Los Angeles, emphasising the importance of standing up against such laws.

The boycott's effectiveness can be analysed from different perspectives. On the one hand, it is important to acknowledge that the boycott sparked a broader conversation and drew international attention to the issue. It brought to light the connection between certain luxury hotels and the Brunei Investment Agency, a state-run sovereign wealth fund. The boycott resulted in cancellations and financial losses for the targeted hotels. For example, the Beverly Hills Hotel lost more than $1.5 million in cancellations of conferences and charity events in a single week. Additionally, the boycott prompted discussions about the broader issue of investment money in the West being tied to regimes with poor human rights policies.

However, it is worth noting that the effectiveness of the boycott in achieving its ultimate goal of pressuring Brunei to change its laws is less clear. Christopher Cowdray, the CEO of the Dorchester Collection, which manages the boycotted hotels, argued that the protests only hurt the employees of the hotels. He also pointed out the challenge of tracking and boycotting all investments tied to regimes with poor human rights records. The Sultan of Brunei, with an estimated net worth of $20 billion, sustained by vast oil reserves, may not be significantly impacted by the boycott. Additionally, there is a lack of transparency in sovereign wealth fund investments, making it difficult for consumers and investors to make fully informed decisions.

While the boycott may not have immediately forced a change in Brunei's laws or resulted in the sale of the targeted hotels, it did bring attention to the issue and sparked discussions about the broader challenge of addressing human rights abuses linked to complex investment networks. It is worth noting that achieving significant change often requires a combination of ethical and political solutions, with collective structures like tax laws and legal institutions supporting ethical stands taken by companies and investors.

In conclusion, the effectiveness of the boycott can be seen in raising awareness, sparking broader discussions, and causing financial losses for the targeted hotels. However, its impact on changing Brunei's laws or the Sultan's investment decisions is less clear, given the complex financial networks and the lack of transparency in sovereign wealth fund investments.

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