Brunei backlash: celebrities slam ‘barbaric’ laws allowing death by stoning for gay sex and adultery
- Brunei, an absolute monarchy ruled for 51 years by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, is to implement the new penal code starting on Wednesday
- Homosexuality is already illegal in the sultanate, but it will now become a capital offence. The law applies only to Muslims
British pop legend Elton John has joined actor George Clooney in calling for a boycott of nine Brunei-owned hotels over the sultanate’s new death-penalty laws for gay sex and adultery.
The call came as a growing list of politicians and celebrities added their names to those condemning the new laws and supporting a boycott.
“I commend my friend, #GeorgeClooney, for taking a stand against the anti-gay discrimination and bigotry taking place in the nation of #Brunei – a place where gay people are brutalised, or worse – by boycotting the Sultan’s hotels,” the singer wrote on his Twitter page late on Saturday.
The 72-year-old, a veteran gay rights campaigner, said his “heart went out” to staff at the hotels, but that “we must send a message, however we can, that such treatment is unacceptable”.
The nine hotels mentioned by Clooney are located in Britain, France, Italy and the United States. They include London’s exclusive Dorchester and the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles.
The Dorchester Collection luxury chain issued a statement saying that its code emphasises “equality, respect and integrity in all areas” and that “we do not tolerate any form of discrimination”, CNN reported.
