Countries criminalising homosexuality are unlikely to host future games, says official
Kate Sadlier also says LGBTQ athletes can wave Pride flags on the podium.
Words: Alastair James; pictures: Pexels and Dean Ryan McDaid
The head of the Commonwealth Games Federation has said that countries which criminalise homosexuality are less likely to host the games in the future.
Speaking ahead of the 2022 games taking place in Birmingham from Thursday 28 July Kate Sadlier said considering human rights records was important to the organisation.
Currently, 35 of the 54 countries in the Commonwealth criminalise same-sex activity.
Kate Sadlier (Photo: Twitter/@KSadlier)
“I think one of the things that is really important about the Commonwealth Games is its values – humanity, destiny, and equity are embedded in most of the things that we do,” she told the BBC.
She also said: “I think one of the things that is really important about the Commonwealth Games is its values – humanity, destiny, and equity are embedded in most of the things that we do.”
This means some countries in Africa and the Caribbean are less likely to host the games going forward.
Sadlier has also confirmed that athletes will be able to wave the Pride flag on the podiums for the first time.
The swimmer, Michael Gunning, who has represented Great Britain and Jamaica in the past, celebrates that LGBTQ representation will be “three times greater than at the previous Commonwealth Games, but progress is far from universal for our LGBTIQ+ athletes in sport.”
Appearing on the cover of Attitude last year the swimmer, who has now retired from the sport, said he hoped to inspire people in Jamaica.
“There was no one speaking openly about their sexuality [either]. For me to be in a situation now where I am that representation, people can see themselves in me. Hopefully, the young people coming through, I’ll be the role model I never had growing up.”
Team GB and Olympic gold medallist Tom Daley has previously called for countries criminalising same-sex relations to not be able to host big sporting events.
Accepting the Sports Award at the Attitude Awards last October, he declared his mission to “make it so that the countries that criminalise and make it punishable by death for LGBT people are not allowed to compete at the Olympic Games.”
The Attitude July/August issue is out now.