Stephen Fry boycotts Brunei-owned hotel chain The Dorchester Collection after country passes ‘stone the gays’ law
Your support helps us to tell the story
As your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.
Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn't have the resources to challenge those in power.
Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November election
Andrew Feinberg
White House Correspondent
Stephen Fry has scrapped his reservations with the luxury Brunei-owned hotel chain after the country passed a law that made being homosexual punishable by stoning to death.
The Dorchester Collection, which is owned by the Sultan of Brunei, has been the subject of boycotts since the controversial change to the penal code was scheduled to come into effect on 22 April 2014.
The widespread boycotts started last week, when an LGBT philanthropist conference cancelled its bookings with the Collection’s Beverly Hills Hotel.
Designers Peter Som and Brian Atwood vowed to move Fashion Week events, normally held at chain venues, out of the hotels for the foreseeable future.
Now, Fry has joined the boycott, by first removing his reservations with Coworth Park Hotel in Ascot.
“Cancelled in nick of time: discovered [Coworth Park] that I was booked into is part of the ‘Dorchester Collection’,” he tweeted.
A spokesperson for The Dorchester Collection has since responded to the pressure action, telling WWD: “We are sensitive to the fact that any such potential withdrawal of business directly impacts our employees, who represent the full diversity of society.
“We continue to abide by the laws of the countries we operate in and do not tolerate any form of discrimination of any kind.
“We are aware that many variations of Sharia law are practiced in many countries throughout the world and these countries have diverse business interests including fashion, hospitality and travel groups, media, entertainment, banking and many other sectors.”
The effect of the “stone the gays” law has since been delayed. However, a Brunei official confirmed that the penal code will still be enforced “in the very near future”.
Before then, being gay in the predominantly Muslim country came with a hefty 10-year prison sentence.
Read More: STEPHEN FRY HAS THE SECRET TO HAPPINESS
HOW CAN I MEET STEPHEN FRY? ONE STUDENT HAS THE ANSWER
STEPHEN FRY TO VOICE ARISTOCRATIC DEER IN CHILDREN'S SERIES
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments