Tom Daley: Illegal To Be Me documentary - how to watch

10 August 2022, 12:51

The Olympic gold medallist has campaigned for LGBTQ+ rights amidst the backdrop of the Commonwealth Games. Find out how to watch the documentary.

Tom Daley has fronted a new BBC documentary and it's an eye-opening, emotional and harrowing watch.

Tom Daley: Illegal To Be Me sees the Olympic diver campaign for the Commonwealth Games to be more LGBTQ+ friendly he visits countries where being gay can cost people their freedom and even their lives.

The documenrary, which aired this week, has seen some fans brand the gold medallist a national treasure, but where does Tom Daley visit in the documentary, what does it explore and how can you watch it on demand?

Find out the answers to this and more below.

When is Tom Daley: Illegal to Be Me out?

The documentary aired on BBC One on Tuesday 9th August at 9pm.

How to watch Tom Daley's BBC documentary?

Tom Daley's documentary is available to stream now on BBC iPlayer, where it will be for 11 months.

Which countries does Tom Daley visit in the documentary?

Daley visits Pakistan in the documentary, where (though not enforced) homosexuality is punishable by death, and Jamaica where the maximum punishment is 10 years imprisonment with hard labour.

How many Commonwealth countries is it illegal to be gay in?

Of the 54 member states in the Commonwealth homosexuality is illegal in 35.

What does the documentary cover?

The BBC synopsis reads: "As thousands of athletes prepare to compete on the global stage at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, Olympic gold medallist and double world champion diver Tom Daley wants to shine a light on an issue that he cares passionately about. Some competitors live in fear of horrific brutality inside the countries they represent. With punishments including whipping, life imprisonment and even death, it is illegal to be gay in over half of the 56 member states of the Commonwealth. 

"His journey takes him to some of the Commonwealth’s most homophobic countries to ask what the sporting world can do to help. The film culminates with Tom taking a very public stand at this year’s opening ceremony, in a powerful statement against homophobia. 

"Travelling from Pakistan, where homosexuality carries a maximum penalty of death by stoning, to Jamaica, where the punishment is ten years’ imprisonment with hard labour, Tom talks to top male and female sportspeople facing persecution. He also discovers the colonial legacy that first criminalised homosexuality and the toxic influence of slavery on attitudes towards LGBT+ people."

When did Tom Daley come out?

On 2nd December 2013, Tom Daley released a video on YouTube, entitled: "Tom Daley: Something I want to say..."

In it he revealed he was in a relationship with his now husband Dustin Lance Black. "Come spring this year, my life changed massively when I met someone," he said. "And they made me feel so happy, so safe and everything just feels great."

He added: "That someone is a guy. It did take me back a little bit and it was always in the back of my head that something like that could happen, but it wasn't until spring this year that something just clicked."

Tom Daley: Something I want to say...

Which countries is homosexuality illegal in?

According to nationalworld.com, homosexuality is illegal to some extent in these countries:

• Mauritius
• Sri Lanka
• Cook Islands, New Zealand
• Samoa
• Malawi
• Namibia
• Sierra Leone
• Eswatini
• Barbados
• Dominica
• Jamaica
• Grenada
• Guyana
• Saint Kitts and Nevis
• Saint Lucia
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• Singapore
• Kiribati
• Niue
• Tonga
• Tuvalu
• Papua New Guinea
• Solomon Islands
• Cameroon
• Ghana
• Kenya
• Nigeria
• Tanzania
• Uganda
• Zambia
• Bangladesh
• Malaysia
• Maldives
• Pakistan
• Brunei

The outlet adds that there are an estimated 69 countries where homosexuality is criminalised in some shape or form.

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