Governments and sporting bodies should consider boycotting countries that are hostile to LGBTQ+ rights, according to Senator Jerry Buttimer.

He was speaking after Olympic Gold Medal-winning diver Tom Daley again called for the organisers of the Commonwealth Games to get tough on countries that ban homosexuality.

Homosexuality is illegal in 36 of the 72 countries taking part in next year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and Daley is calling on the Commonwealth Games Federation to use its influence to agitate for change.

On Breakfast Briefing this morning, Fine Gael Senator Jerry Buttimer said countries and sporting bodies should boycott countries that are hostile to LGBTQ+ rights.

“I think what we need to look at now as world sporting organisations and Governments, we need to stop rewarding and elevating counties who have poor human rights records and who do not support LGBTQ+ rights,” he said. “Where people who are gay and are sports people are living in fear.”

Boycott

He said sporting bodies should carry out a comprehensive audit of country’s human rights record before awarding them tournaments.

“I think it is important that we support gay rights and it is important that we support participation in sport,” he said.

“We need role models and the fundamental point I am making here is that the selection of those countries for major sporting events, for example the World Cup or the Olympics, whilst being competitive, there are many factors in arriving at the decision

“I think it is important that all the international sporting would have a comprehensive boycott and the Governments would consider a diplomatic boycott or a sporting boycott of countries hostile to LGBTQ+ rights.”

Change

Senator Buttimer said Ireland should use its position on the UN Security council and partnerships with sporting bodies to drive change.

“We have made huge progress in the last 30 years as a country and Europe is the same,” he said.

“We are trying to promote a world that is diverse and tolerant where people can reach, as Maslow said, self-actualisation and we are sitting and standing idly by when members of the LGBTQ+ community face significant barriers to participation in life – in non-western countries predominantly.

“I think it is important that we understand that to bring change, we need leadership. There needs to be stances taken by sporting bodies and by Government to ensure people are able to express their full identity, whether it is sexual orientation or gender identity.

“We can’t allow for barriers to self-actualisation or self-flourishing to continue in the world.”