Richard Branson and 20 global business leaders sign pledge on LGBT+ rights

British billionaire Richard Branson urged fellow business leaders on Thursday to use their clout and put pressure on countries such as Brunei that persecute citizens for their sexuality.

Paul Polman and John Fallon, CEOs of consumer goods company Unilever and education group Pearson respectively, were among 21 signatories of an initiative supported by Open For Business, a coalition of global firms promoting LGBT+ inclusion. Celebrities, from actor George Clooney to singer Elton John, have galvanised support, with protesters boycotting the Dorchester Collection of hotels, owned by the Brunei Investment Agency.

In a letter to the UN, Brunei has defended the imposition of strict sharia laws, which it began introducing in 2014, as more for"prevention than to punish". "I do think there's a responsibility and an accountability for the industry to step up and use its force."

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