Hollywood royalty George Clooney and Elton Johnhave stood together to stage a boycott of all hotels owned by the Sultan of Brunei after the nation passed new and strict 'Sharia law' punishments that would impose the death penalty or people having gay sex or committing adultery.
In a report published by Reuters, the new laws will come unto effect by April 3 and would make sodomy, rape and adultery punishable by death and penalise theft with amputation.
Homosexuality is still punishable by death in several Muslim-majority countries.
In a op-ed to Deadline, George wrote: "On this particular April 3rd the nation of Brunei will begin stoning and whipping to death any of its citizens that are proved to be gay. Let that sink in.'
He continued: ' Every single time we stay at or take meetings at or dine at any of these nine hotels we are putting money directly into the pockets of men who choose to stone and whip to death their own citizens for being gay or accused of adultery.'
Just days after George's essay was published, Elton John released a statement on Twitter in support of his friend.
The statement read: 'Discrimination on the basis of sexuality is plain wrong and has no place in any society. That’s why I commend my friend, George Clooney, for taking a stand and calling out the anti-gay discrimination and bigotry now being enshrined in law in the nation of Brunei, a place where gay people are brutalized or worse.
'As George has said, the Sultan of Brunei owns many luxury hotels around the world – hotels which David and I have found it impossible to visit since the Sultan’s plan to push for sharia law in Brunei became public. Our hearts go out to the good, hardworking employees of these properties, many of whom we know to be gay.'
He concluded: 'I believe that love is love and being able to love as we choose is a basic human right. Wherever we go, my husband David and I deserve to be treated with dignity and respect – as do each and every one of the millions of LGBTQ+ people around the world.'