George Clooney boycotts Brunei hotels over anti-LGBT ‘death by stoning’ law

George Clooney is planning to boycott Brunei owned hotels after the country introduced new laws that would see people whipped and stoned to death for same-sex activity.

In an op-ed for Deadline, Clooney said he and others have boycotted hotels owned by the Brunei Investment Agency in the past for the country’s anti-LGBT laws, but said the focus had “died down” in recent years in the face of other issues.

However, he has called on people across the world to again boycott hotels owned by the group after Brunei introduced its new anti-LGBT laws this week.

Clooney said that he has stayed in hotels owned by the group in the past as he was not aware at the time who owned them.

George Clooney: ‘Are we really going to help pay for these human rights violations?’

The actor has now named nine hotels owned by the group and said he would not be staying in them again.

“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,” Clooney said.

Rachel Murray/Getty

He continued: “Brunei is a Monarchy and certainly any boycott would have little effect on changing these laws. But are we really going to help pay for these human rights violations? Are we really going to help fund the murder of innocent citizens?”

“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.”

– George Clooney

The hotels listed by Clooney are reportedly owned by the Brunei Investment Agency, which is owned by the Sultan of Brunei.

Anti-LGBT laws in Brunei

Homosexuality was illegal in Brunei even before this week’s changes to the country’s penal code, and up until now, was punished by up to 10 years in prison.