Caitlyn, Gus Kenworthy Roll With Sultan of Brunei's Son

The two LGBT Olympic medalists attended a party for the son of the sultan of Brunei, who implemented Sharia law in his island nation and calls for the death penalty for gays. Kenworthy later expressed regret.

Neal Broverman

Neal Broverman is the Editorial Director, Print of Pride Media, publishers of The Advocate, Out, Out Traveler, and Plus, spending more than 20 years in journalism. He indulges his interest in transportation and urban planning with regular contributions to Los Angeles magazine, and his work has also appeared in the Los Angeles Times and USA Today. He lives in the City of Angels with his husband, children, and their chiweenie.

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Neal Broverman

August 03 2016 11:02 AM EST

August 03 2016 11:13 AM EST

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Gold medal-winning runner Caitlyn Jenner and out silver medal-winning skier Gus Kenworthy attended a party in London for the prince of Brunei, the son of the sultan of Brunei, who is calling for gays to be stoned to death.

The sultan, or Hassanal Bolkiah, imposed Sharia law in his Asian island nation in 2014. The new code of behavior is arriving in phases, with fines and prison currently the punishment for misdeeds like skipping religious services. Later phases would institute flogging and severing of limbs, while the third would be death by stoning; gays and women who commit adultery would be subjected to the death penalty.

The sultan's Los Angeles-area hotels, the Beverly Hills Hotel and the Hotel Bel-Air, have been protested and boycotted after news broke of Bolkiah's harsh new laws.

Kenworthy last week posted a photo of Jenner, himself, and his boyfriend, actor Matthew Wilkas, at the party, according to blogger Kenneth Walsh of Kenneth in the 212. After Walsh shamed Jenner and Kenworthy on Twitter for attending an event affiliated with the antigay Bolkiah family, Kenworthy deleted the photo and was contrite.

"Gus reached out and after some thoughtful messages back and forth, he expressed regret about attending the birthday party of Brunei's anti-gay dictator's son," Walsh posted. "Unlike the Sultan himself, I don't think anyone is looking to stone any gays here. Gus is new to this, so can be forgiven for occasionally stepping in mud. But what I admire is that unlike Caitlyn, he shows a willingness to have a conversation and learn new information, which puts him ahead of about 45% of Americans. Onward, LGBT comrades."