The Dorchester Collection of hotels — the Beverly Hills Hotel, among them — has responded to a boycott threat by fashion designers upset about Brunei’s plan to impose a law that could see gay people being stoned to death.
The company is distancing itself from the planned laws of the tiny nation of Brunei, despite being owned by an agency that is an arm of the Brunei government.
According to Women’s Wear Daily, a spokeperson for the Dorchester Collection issued this statement on Thursday:
“We are aware that many variations of Sharia law are practiced in many countries throughout the world and these countries have diverse business interests including fashion, hospitality and travel groups, media, entertainment, banking and many other sectors. We are sensitive to the fact that any such potential withdrawal of business directly impacts our employees, who represent the full diversity of society. Our loyal and dedicated employees have no involvement in this religious and political issue.”
“We continue to abide by the laws of the countries we operate in and do not tolerate any form of discrimination of any kind. The laws that exist in other countries outside of where Dorchester Collection operates do not affect the policies that govern how we run our hotels. Dorchester Collection’s code, endorsed by the company’s ownership, emphasizes equality, respect and integrity in all areas of our operation, and strongly values people and cultural diversity amongst our guests and employees.”
– Jillian
