Russian vodkas may see a dip in sales in the days ahead. And it has nothing to do with the rising cost of Indian potatoes. The Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community in Mumbai has decided to boycott all Russian vodka labels at their forthcoming parties. A member of the community said they were protesting the sacking of a Russian TV anchor who had admitted on television that he was gay.An SMS that has now gone viral amongt the LGBT community is asking everyone to stop drinking vodkas manufactured in Russia. Many party organisers too have decided to suspend the serving of the spirit to its patrons at gay parties, as a mark of protest.u00a0Speaking to SUNDAY MiD DAY, Harish Iyer, an activist ranked by Guardian newspaper as one of the 100 most influential LGBT persons in the world, said he and his friends were boycotting everything that’s Russian, be it a Russian salad or a Russian vodka. “I have known Russia as a country with a large heart. But Vladimir Putin has managed to wreck that image almost single handedly. Now it is seen as a nation where hate thrives and love dies every day. Russia has chosen to be a homophobe. I boycott everything Russian, be it the salad on my platter or the vodka in my glass,” he said.

The LGBT community in Mumbai has decided to boycott all Russian vodka labels at their parties to protest the termination of a Russian TV anchor who announced he was gay. File Photo