The Sultan of Brunei walked back the country’s gay sex death penalty after a month of international pressure and boycotts
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. 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 stillIn 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
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