Things aren’t looking too bright for the prestigious Beverly Hills Hotel.
On Feb. 13, a group of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights advocacy activists organized a boycott of the hotel, linking the popular lodging destination’s owner to “state-sponsored homophobia,” reports CBS Los Angeles.
The Dump The Beverly Hills Hotel group released a quirky video where people announced a "breakup" with the hotel. “It’s over. And we are never, ever getting back together. Like ever,” one supporter says in an apparent nod to Taylor Swift in the clip. The Sultan of Brunei owns the hotel, known for hosting starlets and celebrities. In Brunei, same-sex relationships are punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
The video was released along with a candid public letter asking that supporters don’t patronize the hotel in any way. “The Beverly Hills Hotel’s owners don’t believe in equality, but they love to take our money," the letter stated. "If we wouldn’t eat at Chik-Fil-A, why would we dine at the Beverly Hills Hotel?"
In 2008, hotelier Doug Manchester donated $125,000 to support a ballot initiative banning same-sex marriage in California, prompting a boycott of his two San Diego-based hotels organized by Fred Karger of Californians Against Hate.
Last year, Out NYC opened in New York as the city's first LGBT boutique hotel.
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