Over the Rainbow? Why Queer Beer Is Important

I’m not talking about who owns the businesses, though they certainly matter to. I’m saying that, more generally, I think it’s important to understand the struggles that the people who make the things we buy face. We’re all relying on one another in our community, so having a willingness to understand the struggles each of us face is, in my opinion, valuable. Given your original post I responded it seems as if you don’t think this important, which is fine, most people don’t. But I’m curious as to why?

 

I bond with the beer not the brewer.

 

If hate speech were allowed there would be many people that no longer feel comfortable posting on the site which ruins the entire point of having a discussion. For people the hate speech is directed towards it’s pretty hard to just ignore even if you are a big boy or girl. I would say hate speech is used as a tool to suppress other people’s voices.

 

Even if that beer is brewed by a truly vile human? I asked this upthread, and I'll ask again: If Josef Stalin brewed the greatest beer ever, would you still buy it? I wouldn't. Beer, like sports, the arts, life its own self, does not exist in a vacuum. If whoever creates a product is terrible person, I am not buying that persons beer, art, lumber, wuteverz.

 

If I truly disliked someone I doubt I'd patronize their business. If others did I wouldn't comment because I don't make rules for others.

 

Thought this thread got closed to further discussion. Glad it’s opened back up to all points of view.

 

The beer you bond with is made by other members of the human species. It might be worth considering the experiences and struggles of those who make the things you love so much.

 

I love my grandchildren. I don't love things.

 

And your grandkids might grow up to be transgender brewers who get discriminated against.

 

Do you know who manufactures every part of your computer, phone, refrigerator, desk lamp, car, or or television? What are their labor practices? How about your furniture? How about the piping in your building/house? Your bed? Clothes? If you don't, what excuses you from bearing that responsibility when supporting them with your purchasing decisions while neglecting other under-represented groups, while you preach the moral obligation to support a given group within the beer industry?

Because, you know, these commodities could be manufactured by draconian regimes with nefarious labor practices. And under-represented communities exist in virtually every branch of industry: from beer, to footwear. Do you support the LGTB agricultural community when you purchase veggies? How about the Native American confectionary community? How about the Guatemalan shoe making community? What about the Peruvian Huayno musician community?

They are also under-represented minorities, you know, who belong to this world of ours, and they deserve your support. Moralism is nothing but cheap exhibitionism, correctly derided as virtue signaling.

 

You’re not completely wrong but the items you have listed have much more complex supply chains than a local brewery. Conflict minerals are in all tech devices and is a very real issue to address but I don’t think it’s a fair comparison here. I don’t think buying a beer to support a local brewery is virtual signal to others. Some people are going to buy a beer no matter what and every now and then it’s nice to know it’s going to a good cause. Sure there are many causes out there but people only have so much to give and if they are already spending money on beer it’s better to be selective about where you spend it.

 

I do not know who made all the things you listed and it pains me. I wish to know. I try to know as much as I can, alas there are businesses I end up supporting for whom I have no idea their labor practices. I have gotten better at this, but still have a long way to go. I research as well as I can, given my resources and time constraints. All of the people who make the products I buy matter, but because I do not fully understand every single one of their struggles it does not mean it is a lost cause to understand some of them. I hope you and others will move beyond this being an all or nothing argument.

When we see something wrong, we should try to make it right. And we should regularly spend time investigating what is wrong in this world. If someone brings something wrong to our attention, we should no longer support that which is wrong.

 

Not by me. I live by the Golden Rule but don't preach to others how they should live.

 

We can only make decisions with the data we have at that time. I've never built, or had built for me, a house. But, if I did, you can be damn sure I'd write into every contract with every contractor, a list of the source of materials. if every manufacturer of, say, copper tubing turned out to be a meatball, I would have no choice but to choose the the least meatballish one.

Not being informed is a choice. I choose to be the least ignorant I can.

 

But some people don’t live by the golden rule. And there in lies the trouble. Some people would treat your kids like absolute dog shit if they were trans and grew up to own a brewery. And I’d bet you’d want a few craft beer enthusiasts to care about the struggles they faced if that were the case.

 

I don't make rules for others and don't live by other's rules.

 

So where are the parts of your computer manufactured, and what are their labor practices? Or fridge. Or television. Or automobile.

Because those answers are a few google searches away, and it surely doesn't take any more time than, you know, posting about beer in a forum.

So let's see the fruits of your hard-earned knowledge.

 

So who's the management behind beeradvocate? What are their beliefs, labor practices, and what servers do they use? Who are the companies behind them, or associated with them? Do you know this much?

 

It’s not as easy as posting to a forum and I wouldn’t say it’s a fair comparison since there are far less auto manufacturers than breweries but I see your point. Like many other people I try to know what and who I am buying from sometimes it doesn’t always work out. I’m sure if I thoroughly researched all the products I buy I probably wouldn’t feel comfortable buying any of them tbh.

 

I do not, but I’d like to. Do you know how I could research such? If I find that their way of doing business does not align with my values then I will likely step away from this site.