UK

Diver Tom Daley announces engagement

Tom Daley (left) and Dustin Lance Black, who have announced their engagement 
Tom Daley (left) and Dustin Lance Black, who have announced their engagement  Tom Daley (left) and Dustin Lance Black, who have announced their engagement 

OLYMPIC diver Tom Daley has announced his engagement to his partner Dustin Lance Black.

The couple made the announcement in the back of The Times newspaper.

Their announcement in the births, marriages and deaths section of the newspaper read: "The engagement is announced between Tom, the son of Robert and Debra Daley of Plymouth, and Lance, son of Jeff Bisch of Philadelphia and Anne Bisch of Lake Providence."

Olympic bronze medallist Daley (21) came out as gay nearly two years ago in a YouTube video in which he said he was "dating a guy and couldn't be happier".

In the December 2013 video, Daley said his "whole world changed" when he fell in love with a man.

He said: "Come spring this year my life changed massively when I met someone and they make me feel so happy, so safe, and everything just feels great and, well, that someone is a guy.

"And it did take me by surprise a little bit. It was always in the back of my head that something like that could happen, but it wasn't until spring this year that something just clicked, it felt right."

Black (41) is an American film director and producer. He won an Oscar for best original screenplay for Milk, a film based on the life of gay rights activist and politician Harvey Milk.

Black grew up in a Mormon home in Texas and has spoken of his fears that he was "going to hell" when he first developed feelings for a boy as a child.

In his emotionally charged Oscar speech he told how the story of Harvey Milk gave him "hope to live my life" and urged greater acceptance of gay and lesbian people.

He said: "It gave me the hope that one day I could live my life openly as who I am and maybe even I could fall in love and one day get married.

"I want to thank my mum, who has always loved me for who I am even when there was pressure not to."