Tom Daley of the United Kingdom, who won a gold medal in synchronised diving at the Olympics in Tokyo, took advantage of his chance to address homophobia in Commonwealth nations while carrying the Queen’s Baton in Birmingham.
Tom Daley opens on the Homophobia across Commonwealth
35 of the 56 Commonwealth nations have anti-homosexual laws in place. Daley, who came out as homosexual in 2013, carried LGBTQ+ flags as he raced the Queen’s Baton into the stadium’s darkness.
According to Reuters, he remarked, “LGBT+ athletes must feel safe and able to be themselves without fear of being persecuted or killed.” It’s encouraging to see the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) beginning to take a position in favour of greater inclusivity because they’ve been open to speaking with us and listening to our concerns.
One of the 24 out gay athletes who won a gold medal at the Olympics last year was Daley, a significant accomplishment for the LGBTQ+ community. In a BBC programme to be broadcast next month, the Brit is now prepared to provide additional insight on the subject.
In the film, Daley visits some of the most homophobic nations in the Commonwealth, such as Pakistan and Jamaica, to illustrate the prejudice that the LGBT+ population faces there and the severity of their anti-LGBTQ+ laws.
Since I’ve competed in nations where being gay is against the law and where I don’t feel secure leaving the competition arena, I’ve dealt with homophobia my entire life, he claimed. “I can’t even begin to think what daily life is like for LGBT+ individuals in the Commonwealth if I feel that way as a privileged man.”
In accordance with a plan with his team to take a year off and relax, four-time Commonwealth Games champion Daley will not compete in the Birmingham Games this year.