Topline: The Sultan of Brunei walked back the country’s gay sex death penalty after a month of international pressure and boycotts, making it one of the fastest major victories for LGBTQ activists in recent memory. Actor George Clooney said he will continue to boycott hotels owned by the sultan.
- Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah said in a statement Sunday that Brunei would not stone people convicted of gay sex, adultery or rape to death.
- The sultan also said Brunei would ratify the United Nations Convention Against Torture in the process.
- The move came after a month of global outcry, a boycott of sultan-owned hotels and objections from celebrities such as Ellen DeGeneres, Elton John and George Clooney.
- George Clooney said Monday he still plans on boycotting the sultan's hotels.
- Activists warn that the sultan’s statement isn’t a complete victory for LBGTQ people. Homosexuality is still criminalized in the country and women who have sex with other women can still be punished by whipping. Same-sex relationships are still illegal in more than 70 countries.
- In the statement, the sultan said the swift international condemnation of the law was due to “misperceptions” that may have caused “apprehension.” He said that once those misperceptions are cleared up, “the merit of the law will be evident.”
In early April, the sultan said that Brunei — a tiny oil-rich country in southeast Asia — would start enforcing draconian punishments, including death by stoning, in accordance with Sharia law. The move attracted widespread media attention, protest and concern from the U.N.
In the U.S., activists and celebrities called for a boycott of The Beverly Hills Hotel, which is owned by the sultan. Several major banks, including J.P. Morgan, The Goldman Sachs Group and Bank of America prohibited their employees from staying at other hotels owned by the sultan, which include the luxury hotel group the Dorchester Collection. The U.K. took down tourism ads for the country.
The month-long campaign is one of the fastest global victories for LGBT activists in the last decade -- and some say big banks joining the boycott was a turning point.
“The reputation of Brunei was really at stake here,” said Ani Zonneveld, president and founder of Los Angeles-based Muslims for Progressive Values. “It’s remarkable, frankly, how quickly it happened. It just shows how an economic sanction and campaign can affect decision-makers.”
Key POV: A gay man living in Brunei told CNN the sultan’s announcement is “good news,” but does nothing to address widespread homophobia and discrimination in the kingdom.
