Yes Virginia: there is a boycott

[dreamer_easy]

I remember reading a great report from Harlan Ellison on how he refused to spend any money while visiting a US state which had failed to ratify the ERA - IIRC not as much as buying a chocolate bar.

Now, with a visit to the US state of Virginia coming up later this year, where it's legal to discriminate against gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people in housing, banking, and employment, I'm thinking about following Ellison's example. This could be a bit of a nuisance for family and friends, so I don't want to go too over the top, but I wonder how many shopping trips, meals out, etc, I can move over the border into Maryland. I must of course accompany this behaviour with some letters to relevant politicans and perhaps newspapers too.

At the very least Jon and I should go and break the state's "crimes against nature" law a little.

Comments

[tencrush]

Will you be taking pictures of the crimes against nature bit? I am intrigued as to what they may be. And a wee bit turned on.

[jblum.livejournal.com]

This would be the famous "oral sex is still a felony in Virginia" bit. As are adultery and cohabitation, though they did concede that the bit against fornication was unconstitutional. Hey -- maybe we should find someone to move in with for the duration and go for a three-fer!

(And yes, they are still prosecuting -- including straight couples, such as a fairly high-profile case in 2004.)

[kateorman.livejournal.com]

We will be mining uranium in a World Heritage national park. So there, you pervert!