Boris Johnson will raise gay rights with Commonwealth leaders
The foreign secretary responded to Tom Daley's plea to decriminalise homosexuality in the Commonwealth
By Steve Brown
Boris Johnson reveals he will raise gay rights with leaders of the Commonwealth.
The foreign secretary responded to Tom Daley’s plea for all countries in the Commonwealth to change their laws of homosexuality during an interview with Radio 1 Newsbeat and said he would use his influence to change attitudes.
He said: “The UK campaigns on its values around the world in the Commonwealth – and in every forum we champion LGBT rights and we fly the flag in all our embassies.
“I had a conversation very recently with a Commonwealth country about this issue. I won’t say which one, and I made the case which I believe in absolutely passionately.
“If you allow people to live their lives as they choose and to express their love in the way that they want, then you will find that you achieve far greater economic success as a result.”
Currently it is illegal to be gay in 70 per cent of the Commonwealth and the foreign secretary was confident the UK does not overlook gay rights when it comes to trade or money.
“No we don’t,” he added.
“You have just heard an account of the conversation I had with a particular Commonwealth leader and we don’t overlook it and we make that point.
“There will be more on that over the course of the next few days.”