Tom Daley opposes criminalizing homosexuality during Commonwealth Games opening ceremony

Opening ceremony

At the opening ceremony on Thursday, the Olympian made a speech about the "history of colonialism" that many Commonwealth countries share with one another while he and some friends hoisted the Progress Pride banner.

LGBTQ rights

Tom Daley is going to great lengths to continue using his high-dive platform to advocate for LGBTQ rights all across the world.

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2022 Commonwealth Games

During the opening ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Games, which took place on Thursday at Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, England, the Olympic diving gold champion who is now 28 years old made history by carrying the Queen's Baton while being flanked by flags displaying Progress Pride.

The demonstration

According to the BBC, the demonstration, which was held in favor of those who live in countries that continue to ban homosexuality, took place after months of "painstaking talks" as more than a billion people were expected to tune in.

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Daley

Daley was joined by athletes and activists he met while filming his upcoming BBC documentary Tom Daley: Illegal to Be Me. For this project, he traveled through Commonwealth countries where being LGBTQ is still criminalized, often under British colonial rules that remain in place. Daley's documentary will air on the BBC in the coming months.

Daley captioned a picture of himself and the other people in the group with the following: "Homosexuality is still a crime in over half of the Commonwealth countries, and the maximum penalty in three of those countries is the death sentence."

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Laws are a vestige of colonialism

He went on to say that "these laws are a vestige of colonialism." Athletes who identify as LGBT+ should not have to worry about being persecuted or losing their lives as a result of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF)

In the past, Daley has voiced his opposition to the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) on the grounds that more than half of the countries that are participating in the games have laws that make it illegal to be homosexual.

He was recently honored with an OBE for the contributions he has made toward the advancement of LGBTQ rights all over the world.

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Katie Sadleir

Katie Sadleir, the Chief Executive Officer of the GCF, stated in an interview with BBC Sport that there are currently no policies that prohibit such countries from hosting the games, despite the fact that it is "less likely." Sadleir also expressed a desire to implement additional policies that will protect LGBTQ athletes.

Sadleir’s words

"I believe one of the things that are really essential about the Commonwealth Games is its values," Sadleir said. "I think that's one of the things that makes it such a special event." "Humanity, destiny, and equity are ingrained in the majority of the activities that we participate in."