Aimee Walker
Tom Daley has vowed to stop countries where being a member of the LGBT+ community is punishable by death from competing in the Olympic Games.
The gold medalist said it has become his ‘mission’ to achieve this while speaking at the 2021 Attitude Awards ceremony.
He said: “There are still 10 countries that punish being gay by death that were still allowed to compete in the Olympic Games.
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“I think that is quite shocking to a lot of people. It is all well and good to speak about those things, but I think it is really important to try and create change.
“I will make it my mission over the next – well hopefully before the Paris Olympics in 2024 – to make it so that countries that criminalise and make it punishable by death for LGBTQ+ people are not allowed to compete at the Olympic Games.”
The openly gay athlete added that there were more open members of the LGBT community in the Tokyo 2020 Games than at any of the previous Olympics, calling it a ‘great step forward’.
He also shared his thoughts on the upcoming world cup being held in Qatar, saying: “The World Cup in Qatar coming up – it has extreme rules about LGBTQ people and women. And I think it should not be allowed to hold such a sporting event.”
“So, that is going to be my mission now to try and change that.”
Shia Law in Qatar outlaws homosexuality completely and says it can be punished by imprisonment or flogging, as well as the death penalty.
The Human Dignity Trust lists Iran, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Pakistan and Qatar as some of the 11 jurisdictions that same-sex sexual activity is punishable by death.
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