Kardashian West on Brunei hotel boycott: ‘It’s not the solution’

Kim Kardashian West has revealed that she has had a change of heart over the boycott of hotels owned by the Sultan of Brunei.

The reality star moved her bridal shower from the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles earlier this year, after the Sultan made anal sex punishable with death by stoning, alongside other offences like rape, adultery and extramarital sexual relations for Muslims.

However, in her latest blog post, Kardashian West said that boycotting the hotel “isn’t the best solution”, as it is only hurting the hardworking staff.

Read her full post below:

My best friend Allison and I wanted to take our babies out to lunch a few days ago after our baby class but there were so many paparazzi swarming us, it would have really scared them. Instead we had to feed them at her place and put them down for a nap. We were planning on taking them to the Beverly Hills Hotel, which is where we always go because they respect not having any paparazzi drive onto their property, but I reminded Allison that my bridal shower was moved from that hotel due to the actions of the Sultan of Brunei. Allison shared with me her view on the situation and we 100% agree that the actions and law enforcements of the Sultan are completely against everything we believe in.
However, I started to realize that maybe boycotting the hotel isn’t the best solution either. For a sultan that has 20 billion dollars, this loss of business doesn’t even make a dent in his fortunes. But the hotel staff are being negatively affected every day with the boycott that has gone on for weeks now… We shouldn’t punish the amazing hard-working people who have been so good to us for years! When I was a little girl, I would ride my bike to the Beverly Hills Hotel on the weekends to eat downstairs in the coffee shop with my dad, and some of the same people still work there! It’s sad to see them suffering from this protest.
There must be other ways to express our views without punishing the workers, some who I know personally have families at home and depend on the city’s business and tips to survive. When I was pregnant, the hotel was my safe haven. There’s one waitress that works downstairs who was also pregnant at the same time as me and due just a few weeks apart. We would always share our pregnancy stories with each other. I know for a fact she has a new baby at home that she has to feed, so this boycott is affecting her tremendously. The hotel is a piece of LA’s history as well as many of our own personal memories.
I support Rose McGowan and Russell Crowe’s takes on this matter. The unjust treatmentand violation of rights of the LGBT community around the world is never justified and I will continue to proudly support the LGBT community in every way imaginable. I do believe though that instead of this boycott, there has to be another solution. I’m glad to hear that industry executives like Jeffrey Katzenberg and Casey Wasserman are reaching out to leaders of the hotel chain to discuss a way to potentially end the protest. I hope we can come together and stand up for our beliefs while still making sure good people aren’t wrongfully hurt in the process. Boycotting the hotel won’t affect the sultan, just our dear friends who work there. For every warm smile when they greet us and for all the dedication they put in to make our experiences more enjoyable, I hope we can return the same love and compassion to make sure they’re not forgotten during this protest. Xo
With love, Kim

Although many stars, including Sharon Osbourne, Stephen Fry and Richard Branson, have opted to boycott Brunei-owned hotels, others have objected to the demonstration.

Russell Crowe faced criticism after he claimed the boycott was the wrong way to approach the problem, while Charmed star Rose McGowan hosted a ‘gay-in’ at the hotel instead.

> Obama urged to stop Brunei trade talks over anti-gay laws
> Stonewall criticises boycott of Brunei-owned hotels