Diving champion Daley hopes to strike blow for gay rights on Russia trip
OLYMPIC DIVER Tom Daley says he is prepared to take his gay rights campaign to Russia when he competes in next month’s World Series – but suggested he may pare down his message amid a fear of reprisals.
The 23-year-old, who won the men’s synchronised 10-metres platform title with Dan Goodfellow at this month’s Commonwealth Games in Australia, was praised for his public plea for equality moments after taking the gold medal.
The father-to-be – married to Hollywood screenwriter Dustin Lance Black – used his media appearances after winning his fourth Games title to implore the Commonwealth Games Federation to do more to pressurise those 37 out of 53 nations of the Commonwealth where homosexuality remains illegal.
A passionate post on his Instagram account, published following his endeavours on the diving board, was “liked” more than 170,000 times, bringing further spotlight on the issue. Speaking on BBC’s Marr on
Sunday, the diver said his activism would not stop in Russia.
But he hinted the campaigning may be contained to his performance at the pool, rather than physically speaking out, after being asked about his concerns of a backlash in a nation where homosexuality remains a problem for many.
He said: “I think the one thing that is the most powerful thing to do is go and compete and do the best I can, and just be who I am and compete at the highest level that I can. Speaking out can only do so much, but for me going there competing is a message that I want to urge other LGBT people to go and compete in Russia – it doesn’t matter about our sexual orientation.”