Everyone wele? Gay football fans prepare for Qatar - France 24

Contents:

• TOP U.K. OFFICIAL TELLS GAY FANS TO TONE DOWN QATAR
• EVERYONE WELE? GAY FOOTBALL FANS PREPARE FOR QATAR
• EVERYONE WELE? GAY SOCCER FANS PREPARE FOR QATAR 2022 WORLD CUP
• GAY, TRANSGENR FANS ‘WELE’ AT 2022 WORLD CUP, SAYS QATAR
• QATAR WORLD CUP CHIEFS GIVE ASSURANC GAY FANS WILL NOT BE PERSECUTED UNTRY AFTER SHOWDOWN TALKS WH FA

TOP U.K. OFFICIAL TELLS GAY FANS TO TONE DOWN QATAR

As the first and currently only Qatari to publicly e out as gay, Mohamed­—a doctor who has lived the U.

But given homosexualy is crimalized Qatar, he is likely to rema s only member for the foreeable future. In the months sce, Mohamed lnched the non-prof Alwan Foundatn to advance LGBTQ+ rights across the Middle East and pecially Qatar, where he says that secury operativ filtrate gay muni orr to torture and erce members to rm on others.

TIME: As a gay Qatari, do you feel that hostg the World Cup n brg change? Is there an unrground gay scene or is that too dangero? There are some people om really affluent fai that are gay and ’s almost public knowledge—but they’re really wealthy, affluent, and very nnected, so people jt don’t say anythg.

EVERYONE WELE? GAY FOOTBALL FANS PREPARE FOR QATAR

But even the most powerful gay [person] Qatar is powerls some ways. They uld gaybash and get away wh wh no nsequenc at all.

And if such an attack happens on a gay fan, I don’t know of the [secury] rourc to help them. Bee you uld be harmed, you n be gay bashed, you n be beaten, and people may not be able to help you.

One of Bra’s top ernment officials wants LGBTQ soccer fans to keep all of that gay stuff to themselv if they vis Qatar for the upg men’s World Cup.

EVERYONE WELE? GAY SOCCER FANS PREPARE FOR QATAR 2022 WORLD CUP

Foreign Secretary Jam Cleverly suggted Wednday a rad terview that gay fans should rist public displays of affectn the Gulf untry. It is still illegal to be gay Qatar, and homosexualy n lead to imprisonment or even ath. Jt this week, the Human Rights Watch published a new report documentg Qatari arrts and ab of gay people.

“Gays, stop your hand-holdg.

GAY, TRANSGENR FANS ‘WELE’ AT 2022 WORLD CUP, SAYS QATAR

Cleverly faced immediate phback for his plea for appeasement, wh Gary Leker, a Brish former natnal soccer player, puttg bt: “Whatever you do, don’t do anythg Gay. Yet the host untry has not repealed or spend laws that crimalize homosexualy.

QATAR WORLD CUP CHIEFS GIVE ASSURANC GAY FANS WILL NOT BE PERSECUTED UNTRY AFTER SHOWDOWN TALKS WH FA

The arrt of a gay fan would explo to an ternatnal cint and mar a tournament whose primary geopolil purpose is to sportwash the image of Qatar the ey of the even the slightt uncertaty would create lgerg disfort. (Photo by Nikku/Xhua via Getty Imag)Fans unnvced Qatar is openg s doors 'whout discrimatn'Unr Sharia law, homosexualy is punishable by ath, a fact that ntributed to the spread of misrmatn and exaggerated fears as the World Cup neared.

But the Qatari penal do punish any extramaral sex, cludg gay sex, wh up to seven years prison; and “leadg, stigatg, or scg a male to m sodomy or dissipatn” wh 1-3 years. ”Qatari thori have given dozens of assuranc, public and private, wh varyg gre of specificy and vaguens, that the so-lled “moraly” laws will sentially not be enforced durg the World Tamim B Hamad Al-Thani, the Emir of Qatar, told the Uned Natns General Assembly September that his natn would be “openg our doors … whout discrimatn, ” acrdg to a print Gianni Infanto has urged LGBTQ fans to attend, and, a vio msage one month before kickoff, specifilly mentned “genr” and “sexual orientatn” as ax of Al-Khater, the Supreme Commtee’s CEO, has said that gay fans will be allowed to hold hands, and Pri flags will be tolerated. “Here is a untry that is lerally on rerd as sayg, any other time, if you're gay, this is very very bad for you, ” one Amerin fan who ultimately cid not to attend told Yahoo Sports.

World Cup 2022 host Qatar has given the cleart ditn yet that LGBT fans will be wele, engagg wh gay supporters as hosts the Club World Cup -- spe crimalisg homosexualy.