Lady Gaga urges Tom Daley to boycott anti-gay countries ahead of Russia Winter Olympics

The singer, who herself is openly bisexual, praised the 19-year-old sportsman before launching into a tirade about the upcoming Winter Olympics

The singer, who herself is openly bisexual, praised the 19-year-old sportsman before launching into a tirade about the upcoming Winter Olympics (Rex Features)

Lady Gaga is urging Tom Daley to boycott competing in countries that have strict anti-gay laws.

The singer, who herself is openly bisexual, praised the 19-year-old sportsman for his brave decision to come out this week, before launching into a tirade about the upcoming Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

“I don’t think that we should be going to the Olympics at all,” she told Alan Carr on his Channel 4 show Chatty Man.

“I mean, I would never take anything away from [the athlete’s] hard work, I just think it is absolutely wrong for so many countries to send money and economy in the way of a country that doesn’t support gays.”

“They pepper spray and beat them in Russia,” she added.

Despite the fact that Daley, a diver, does not compete in the Winter Olympics, she continued: “It made me very sad to see the pain that some of the gay kids are in in Russia, and for the world to send their finest for the Olympics… I can’t, it just feels so wrong and sad. I hate saying that, because I’m so excited for those like Tom Daley to go and to win and to rejoice.”

Asked whether she would ever go back to the country for a visit, she said: “I don’t think I’m even allowed in anymore because I screamed ‘I’m gay, arrest me’ on stage last time I was there, so…”

Daley came out in a moving video message to fans earlier this week, admitting that he is currently in a relationship with a man. Since then, it has been reported that he is dating 39-year-old Hollywood screenwriter Dustin Lance Black.

He broke his silence on the romance during an interview on The Jonathan Ross Show.

“I’d never felt like anything like it before. We were at a party and I hadn’t even spoken to him all night. I didn’t know what to do or if he was gay at first,” he said.

Tom Daley credits new boyfriend for helping him to "get back into" diving after the 2012 Olympics (AFP/Getty)

“I typed ‘call me’ in his notes with a smiley face on this phone and the next day he texted. He makes me feel safe and happy, right now I couldn’t be happier.

“I’d never felt the feeling of love, it happened so quickly, I was completely overwhelmed by it to the point I can’t get him out of my head all the time. I’ve never had it before where I love someone and they love me just as much.”

However, the Olympic diver, 19, stopped short of confirming – or denying – that the man he is in a relationship with is Black, 39. Asked why he had chosen not to identify his lover, Daley said: “At the moment, I wouldn’t like anything to change.

Five things you didn't know about Dustin Lance Black

“I hope it doesn’t get ruined by the media attention, everyone has been so supportive and I hope it continues that way.”

On why he hadn’t come out sooner, the sportsman said: “I felt like there was something wrong with me, I didn’t know other people out there felt that way, I felt so alone, so locked away and couldn’t say anything.

“Now that everyone knows, I have nothing to hide, those chains that I felt wrapped around me are gone and I can carry on with my life as normal and be happy.”

The star goes on to credit his new love for encouraging him to get back into diving following a post London 2012 Olympics slump.

Dustin Lance Black, a prominent LGBT activist, is won an Academy Award in 2008 for Milk (Getty)

“He saved me from not wanting to dive anymore,” Tom said. “After the Olympics I was down in the dumps, as it’s such a hard way to get back into everything, but he gave me the extra motivation and made me work harder and that is exactly what I need.”

Meanwhile, friends of 39-year-old screenwriter Dustin Lance Black took to his Facebook profile to offer their congratulations on the news.

Prominent gay rights activist Ellen Pontac posted “So happy for you!” on Black's wall while friend Eric Morse wrote “I knew it!!!!!”.

Several also replied to Black’s tongue-in-cheek status, posted on Twitter just hours after the news broke: “Slept all day today after my trip to Russia. Did I miss anything?”

Representatives for both Tom Daley and Dustin Lance Black are yet to confirm or deny the news.