Legendary singer Rod Stewart announced that he has turned down a performance opportunity in Saudi Arabia due to how women and the LGBTQ community are treated in the Middle Eastern country.
“I’m grateful that I have a choice whether or not to perform in Saudi Arabia. So many citizens there have extremely limited choices — women, the LGBTQ community, the press,” Stewart wrote in an Instagram post on Thursday.
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“I’d like my choice not to go… to shine a light on the injustices there and ignite positive change,” the 78-year-old musician added.
In his post, Stewart also directed his followers to a Mirror UK article, which stated that the “I Don’t Want to Talk About It” singer had turned down “one of the biggest pay checks of his career,” but did not disclose the amount.
A source close to Stewart told the outlet that he used his “moral compass in making the decision,” and that “Rod was determined to do the right thing and couldn’t accept the offer, no matter how much money was on the table. Some things are more important.”
Previously, the rocker said he had rejected £1 million to perform in Qatar. While his team declined to reveal how much money Stewart was offered this time around in Saudi Arabia, it was suggested that the figure was “much higher.”
It is illegal to engage in same-sex sexual activity, and the death penalty a possible punishment. There have also been “consistent reports of discrimination and violence” against members of the LGBTQ community in the Middle Eastern country, according to Human Rights Watch.
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