For some, the events of New York’s Stonewall Uprising feel like ancient history, and for others, the memory remains fresh, a constant reminder of how things used to be and how far we’ve come.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of those pivotal events, and to honor the uprising’s semi centennial, our friends at Stoli Vodka are releasing a new, limited edition bottle named “Spirit of Stonewall” nationwide to coincide with this year’s Pride Month. Sales of the bottle will help raise funds for the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative and its mission to eliminate the social intolerances that profoundly impact the lives of LGBTQ citizens in America and abroad, through awareness campaigns, educational programming, fundraising and public dialogue, according to the company.
"We are thrilled that Stoli is continuing its long-standing tradition of supporting the LGBTQ community by working with the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative," said Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative President, CEO & Co-Founder, Stacy Lentz. "These much-needed funds will help continue the Stonewall legacy especially in places where equality has been slow to arrive, and full legal protections are not in place."
Taking Pride in Our History
This year’s Stoli Pride bottle comes after last year’s bottle, a tribute to equal rights advocate and icon Harvey Milk, and is just the latest in a long history of Stoli’s 25 plus years of support for the LGBTQ+ community. The design for the bottle comes from Lisa Marie Thalhammer, an award-winning visual artist and herself a member of the LGBTQ community. Thalhammer is perhaps best known for the iconic 13-color rainbow "LOVE" mural located on Blagden Alley in Washington, D.C.'s Shaw neighborhood. In creating the Spirit of Stonewall bottle, Thalhammer employed a mural design, one which incorporated certain motifs of LGBTQ imagery, such as hands and protest signs at the corner of Gay and Christopher Streets (the Stonewall Inn’s location in New York), a high heel shoe representing the transgender activists who began the 1969 uprising, a "LIBERATION" sign with three gender symbols, and a peace sign and protest fist holding a rainbow energy ribbon that swirls between fingers, bringing the community together.
"Pride is all about sticking up for something you believe in – just as the brave patrons of the Stonewall Inn did 50 years ago – that all good people deserve to love freely and stand proudly in the bright spotlight of the beauty of their diversity without the expectation that one needs to hide in the shadows, or in the closet," said Stoli LGBTQ National Brand Manager and Ambassador, Patrik Gallineaux. "Stoli celebrates the legacy of our gay bars, such as Stonewall, as the original community centers and safe spaces. It is a privilege to utilize our bottle as a platform for purposeful visibility and education via our second LGBTQ tribute bottle, the Stoli 'Spirit of Stonewall' limited edition."
This year, as in all years, Beakthru is proud to support Stoli and all our partners in the work towards equal rights for all. Call your Breakthru Sales Consultant to find out more about how your business can share in this important work, and how the full portfolio of Stoli Vodka can help your business grow.