Since he came out at the age of 19, in a sweet and open video revealing that he was in a relationship with a man, the Olympic champion diver Tom Daley has been vocal about supporting LGBTQ+ rights and causes. He has used his platform to speak passionately about wanting to inspire young gay people and to support queer athletes from around the world – from his post-gold-medal press conference at the Tokyo Olympics to his Alternative Christmas Message on Channel 4 last year. Now, with Tom Daley: Illegal to Be Me (BBC One), he is attempting to get practical about tackling homophobia in sport.
Daley has not been competing at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, but he is using the occasion to press for action. There is anti-gay legislation in 35 of the 54 member states taking part in the Games. In some, homosexuality is punishable by death. Daley starts the film with a simple, if crude, idea: that countries with anti-LGBTQ+ laws should not be permitted to host the Games. He plans to visit some of these countries to meet LGBTQ+ athletes and public figures – as well as many who remain private out of fear for their safety – to find out what their lives are like in an environment that is deeply hostile to their very existence.
