ASSOCIATED PRESSTopline: The Sultan of Brunei walked back the country’s gay sex death penalty after a month of international pressure and boycotts, making it one of the fastest major victories for LGBTQ activists in recent memory. Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah said in a statement Sunday that Brunei would not stone people convicted of gay sex, adultery or rape to death. The sultan also said Brunei would ratify the United Nations Convention Against Torture in the process. Homosexuality is still criminalized in the country and women who have sex with other women can still be punished by whipping. The month-long campaign is one of the fastest global victories for LGBT activists in the last decade.

Source: Forbes May 07, 2019 00:56 UTC