Tom Daley proposes anti-LGBTQ countries should be banned from future Olympics
Tue. October 12, 2021 3:42 PM by Gerald Farinas
paris and los angeles olympics
photo credit // international olympic committee public relations
27-year old diving phenom notes countries still have criminalization laws against LGBTQ people
British diving star Tom Daley says that the Olympics should only be open to countries that don't persecute LGBTQ people within their borders. Such Olympic participants like Russia would be affected by such a ban.
Tom Daley's speech was made available on YouTube.com.
After winning his first gold medal in men's synchronized 10-meter platform diving at the Tokyo Games, the 27-year old commented on the challenges he faced in sports with coming out as gay.
He also spoke out about LGBTQ human rights and civil rights violations around the world, especially Russia where LGBTQ persons have been arrested and allegedly tortured.
Daley mentioned this proposed ban at an awards program hosted by Attitude Magazine Foundation, which benefits LGBTQ causes.
He accepted the Attitude Award for Sports.
"These past Olympic Games, there were more out LGBTQ athletes than any of the previous Olympics combined, which is a great step forward," Daley said at the awards. "Yet there are still ten countries that punish being gay with death, that were allowed to compete at the Olympic Games."
"I want to make it my mission over the next, well hopefully before the Paris Olympics in 2024, to make it so that the countries that criminalize and [make] punishable by death for LGBTQ people are not allowed to compete."
The 2022 Winter Olympics will be in Beijing followed by the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. The 2026 Winter Olympics will be in Milan and Cortina, followed by the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Tom Daley's speech was made available on YouTube.com.
After winning his first gold medal in men's synchronized 10-meter platform diving at the Tokyo Games, the 27-year old commented on the challenges he faced in sports with coming out as gay.
He also spoke out about LGBTQ human rights and civil rights violations around the world, especially Russia where LGBTQ persons have been arrested and allegedly tortured.
Daley mentioned this proposed ban at an awards program hosted by Attitude Magazine Foundation, which benefits LGBTQ causes.
He accepted the Attitude Award for Sports.
"These past Olympic Games, there were more out LGBTQ athletes than any of the previous Olympics combined, which is a great step forward," Daley said at the awards. "Yet there are still ten countries that punish being gay with death, that were allowed to compete at the Olympic Games."
"I want to make it my mission over the next, well hopefully before the Paris Olympics in 2024, to make it so that the countries that criminalize and [make] punishable by death for LGBTQ people are not allowed to compete."
The 2022 Winter Olympics will be in Beijing followed by the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. The 2026 Winter Olympics will be in Milan and Cortina, followed by the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.