“Piper’s financial ties to anti-gay Brunei stir up controversy, with Harris caught in crossfire” (Florida Today):
Vero Beach-based Piper Aircraft Inc. has become embroiled in an international controversy, as a result of its ownership by the government of Brunei, which has just implemented a harsh new law that punishes sex between men and adultery with death by stoning.
Jackie Carlon, senior director of marketing and communications for Piper, said that, while “the shareholder of Piper Aircraft is the ministry of finance of Kingdom of Brunei,” and “we’re very, very aware of” the policy in Brunei, “I can’t control what they do in their country.”
Carlon said Brunei currently doesn’t profit from Piper’s business, but rather reinvests the profits back into the company.
I.e., so far this has been a money-sink for the Sultan. Surprise, surprise! (Who told him that general aviation would be a good investment? That Piper had already gone bankrupt twice in its history so plainly a third bankruptcy was impossible?)
Cirrus, the market leader in family-sized aircraft, was formerly owned by the First Islamic Investment Bank, ultimately renamed Arcapita, “the premier source for Shari’ah-compliant alternative investments” and “a global leader in Islamically acceptable alternative investments.” It is unclear if Arcapita maintained traditional Islamic views regarding sexual activities. Cirrus today is owned by the Chinese government, basically, and China does not comply with U.S. standards regarding, for example, same-sex marriage (Wikipedia).
Maybe the answer is to pay up for an Embraer Phenom 300? The company is Brazilian, part-owned by the Brazilian government, and same-sex marriage is available in Brazil (Wikipedia). If you’re passionate about flying and matters LGBTQIA, but approximately $10 million short of the $10 million necessary for a Phenom 300, Cessna is owned by Textron, which earned a perfect score in the 2019 Corporate Equality Index (“Rating Workplaces on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Equality”). New and used Cessnas are available to suit nearly every budget.
The anti gay thing is pan Muslim, and Muslims are intersectional. Checkmate, LGBTQIA folks.
Muslim parents in England kept 600 kids out of grade school last week until the school agreed to shitcan a gay/trans educational unit.
“Checkmate” is a bit vainglorious. We LGBTQIA folks have achieved good headway against the moral depredations of similar Abrahamic superstitions quite effectively. Never underestimate the political power of intersectionalism.
Open to suggestions, however, as to how to prevent this particular superstition from dismantling western civilization. Criminal prosecution of the parents for their children’s truancy might be a good start.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/3385676/Increasing-number-of-parents-sent-to-prison-for-childrens-truancy.html