Sir Elton John and his husband, David Furnish, have accused Suella Braverman of comments which risk ‘legitimising hate and violence.’
The home secretary sparked outrage with a speech on Tuesday in which she said ‘simply being gay’ should not be enough to gain protection under international law.
In her speech, Braverman called on world leaders to make major changes to the UN Refugee Convention, arguing it had become too generous. ‘We will not be able to sustain an asylum system if in effect simply being gay, or a woman, and fearful of discrimination in your country of origin is sufficient to qualify for protection.’
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In their statement, which was shared on behalf of the pair by the Elton John Aids Foundation, John and Furnish decried Braverman’s claims, saying they were ‘very concerned’ by her comments and calling for ‘more compassion, support and acceptance for those seeking a safer future’. They also asserted the fact that nearly a third of all nations class LGBTQ+ people as criminals, while homosexuality is still punishable by death in 11 countries.
Despite an outcry of criticism against her speech, Braverman doubled down, claiming there were ‘many instances’ of asylum seekers pretending to be gay in order to ‘game the system’, despite the fact that sexual orientation formed part of the basis of just 1% of all asylum claims in 2021, according to the Home Office.
Lord Of The Rings actor, Sir Ian McKellen, also slammed Braverman’s remarks while speaking on Channel 4 News, claiming they’re ‘laced with a good dollop of prejudice’.
Naomi May is a seasoned culture journalist and editor with over ten years’ worth of experience in shaping stories and building digital communities. After graduating with a First Class Honours from City University's prestigious Journalism course, Naomi joined the Evening Standard, where she worked across both the newspaper and website. She is now the Digital Editor at ELLE Magazine and has written features for the likes of The Guardian, Vogue, Vice and Refinery29, among many others. Naomi is also the host of the ELLE Collective book club.
