The 23-year-old was speaking after landing the men's synchronised 10-metres platform title with Dan Goodfellow, with whom he won Olympic bronze in Rio.

"There are 37 countries in the Commonwealth where it's illegal to be who I am. And hopefully we can reduce that number," Daley said.

"Coming to the Gold Coast and being able to live as an openly gay man is really important.

"You want to feel comfortable in who you are when you are standing on that diving board and for 37 Commonwealth countries that are here participating that is not the case.

"I feel with the Commonwealth, we can really help push some of the other nations to relax their laws on anti-gay stuff."

Daley, who will be competing in Kazan, Russia, in diving's World Series in early May, was accompanied here by his husband, Hollywood screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, with whom he is expecting a child in June. Homosexuality is not illegal in Russia, but gay marriage is.

"I've got to be a husband on my visa. We'll see how that goes," added Daley, who claimed individual bronze at the World Championships in Kazan in 2015.

"Going to Russia can be scary, you've got to compete in front of lots of people who know I've got a husband.

"You have to face those things and try and make change."