Lewis Hamilton criticises Florida's anti-LGBTQ laws ahead of Miami GP

Sir Lewis Hamilton has compared Florida’s anti-LGBTQ laws to those of Saudi Arabia ahead of the Miami Grand Prix this weekend.

The seven-time world champion has frequently spoken out on human rights issues and has sported the rainbow flag on his helmet at races in countries where homosexuality is illegal such as Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar.

He will do the same this weekend at the Miami International Autodrome for the fifth race of the 2023 F1 season in protest against Florida’s highly-controversial ‘Don’t Say Gay’ legislation

Passed into state law at the end of March, this prohibits public school teachers to teach pupils about sexual orientation or gender identity, something Hamilton has described as ‘not good at all’.

‘I stand by those within the community here. I hope they continue to stand firm and push back. I’ll have the rainbow on my helmet. It’s no different to when we were in Saudi.’

‘It’s not for me to decide something like that,’ the British sporting legend said when asked if F1 should boycott racing in the US state.

‘I did hear and have read about some of the decisions that have been made in government here and I do not agree with it and I do not support it. I really do continue to stand with the LGBTQ community.

‘It’s not the people of Miami that are making these decisions, it’s the people in government and that’s the issue. The sport is going to be here whether I am or not, but the least I can do is just continue to be supportive and just being here and having that on my helmet, hopefully that speaks well to the subject.’

Prior to last year’s maiden Miami race, Hamilton spoke out on the Roe v. Wade debate, which surrounded abortion rights in the USA, saying: ‘I love being in the States, but I can’t ignore what’s going on right now and what some in the government are trying to do to the women who live here.

‘Everyone should have the right to choose what they do with their bodies. We can’t let that choice be taken away.’

Miami is hosting the first of three races in USA this season, with grand prix in Austin and Las Vegas toward the end of the year.

Mercedes driver Hamilton is currently fourth in the standings, 45 points behind leader Max Verstappen.

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