UK mister cricised over ll for gay World Cup fans to show rpect Qatar | Foreign policy | The Guardian

Contents:

• WORLD CUP 2022, GAY ATHLET AND LGBTQ CLN
• A GAY GIRL’S GUI TO THE 2023 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP
• EVERYONE WELE? GAY SOCCER FANS PREPARE FOR QATAR 2022 WORLD CUP
• THE OUTSPORTS GAY-IENDLY WORLD CUP RANKGS OF ALL 32 TEAMS
• HOW ALLEGIANCE TO AN ANTI-GAY FAN CHANT AT MEXI SOCCER GAM MIGHT SK EL TRI'S WORLD CUP FORTUN
• BRISH MISTER TELLS GAY FANS AT 2022 WORLD CUP QATAR TO 'BE RPECTFUL'
• THERE ARE 0 OUT GAY PLAYERS AT THE MEN’S WORLD CUP. THERE WERE 40 WOMEN 2019
• GAY, TRANSGENR FANS ‘WELE’ AT 2022 WORLD CUP, SAYS QATAR
• TOP U.K. OFFICIAL TELLS GAY FANS TO TONE DOWN QATAR
• UK MISTER CRICISED OVER LL FOR GAY WORLD CUP FANS TO SHOW RPECT QATAR

WORLD CUP 2022, GAY ATHLET AND LGBTQ CLN

People found ways to prott agast Qatar's laws on homosexualy - wh a bear sportg rabow lac placed on top of a televisn mera durg one World Cup matchIt was the summer of 2021, and I was talkg to a senr Fifa, I asked, would the LGBTQ+ muny be ma to feel wele at the upg World Cup Qatar, a untry which homosexualy is illegal? A gay fan who took a greysled Pri flag to a gameexternal-lk was ma to throw the b; another was forced to unfurl his Pri banners by guards who approached him on the metro. 'Beg gay should not stop me supportg England'LGBTQ+ fans who chose not to travel to Qatar had to listen as Khalid Salman, one of the untry's World Cup ambassadors, scribed homosexualy as "damage the md" were some of many stori of LGBTQ+ fans and alli beg stopped or and the Qatari thori had given assuranc that wouldn't be the se.

A GAY GIRL’S GUI TO THE 2023 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP

Homosexualy is illegal Qatar, and n be punishable by f, imprisonment and even ath.

External-lkAnd Infanto's ments were part of a wir pattern, which signifint football figur amed the nversatn about the treatment of LGBTQ+ people the host natn as one of cultural and polil differenc, rather than basic human matter that gay Qataris had spoken out about their sire to live ee om harassment, such as Aziz, who told BBC News November: "I would like reforms that would say I n be gay and not worry about beg killed. Will untri that crimalise homosexualy be allowed to host future tournaments? And after some of the ments by football's leadg power-brokers, how are gay people the game really seen by those ntrol?

Some have been mullg whether to attend the tournament, or even watch on ’s laws agast gay sex and treatment of LGBTQ people are flashpots the n-up to the first World Cup to be held the Middle East, or any Arab or Mlim untry. Wh his untry facg cricism over a number of issu, Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim b Hamad Al Thani, recently argued  “has been subjected to an unprecented mpaign” that no host untry has ever ambassador for the World Cup Qatar, however, has scribed homosexualy as a “damage the md”  an terview wh German public broadster ZDF.

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

Aired this week, the ments by former Qatari natnal team player Khalid Salman highlighted ncerns about the nservative untry’s treatment of gays and LGBTQ rights activists are seizg the moment to draw attentn, wh a heightened sense of urgency, to the ndns of LGBTQ cizens and rints Qatar. Recently, he jumped at the opportuny to lobby for a human rights ngrs hosted by the German soccer feratn Frankfurt, Mn told the Qatari ambassador to Germany that Qatar should abolish s penalti for homosexualy. “I happen to be a gay football fan and I thought that this is a great opportuny to … speak ont of such a high reprentative, to nnect the topic wh a face, ” Mn said an Youn, LGBTQ rights senr rearcher the Middle East and North Ai at Human Rights Watch, said that while Qatari officials have offered some reassuranc for LGBTQ fans, the possibily of stigma and discrimatn remaed hog, accs to health re and safely reportg potential sexual the same time, she argued, “suggtns that Qatar should make an exceptn for outsirs are implic remrs that Qatari thori do not believe that s LGBT rints serve basic rights or exist, ” addg her anizatn was ncerned about ndns for lol LGBTQ people, cludg after the law lls for a prison sentence of one to three years for whoever is “stigatg” or “scg” a male to “m sodomy, ” as well as for “ducg or scg a male or a female any way to m illegal or immoral actns.

Nasser Mohamed, an openly gay Qatari activist who now liv the Uned Stat, is among those sayg that ternatnal attentn is disproportnately foced on visors and not enough on LGBTQ people Qatar. The officials did not addrs or intify any specific issue their msage, which angered some human rights soccer-crazy Argenta, Juan Pablo Moro, print of the group Gays Passnate About Soccer said he was dismayed by FIFA’s cisn to anize the World Cup Qatar.

Mexi gave up the elimatg goal jt sends after their fans chanted the gay slur yet aga. This gay Brish sports mister stood up to Qatar and FIFA and wore rabows at the World Cup.

THE OUTSPORTS GAY-IENDLY WORLD CUP RANKGS OF ALL 32 TEAMS

This gay Qatari started an LGBTQ soccer fan group to expose abe his home untry.

FIFA is all rabows this month, but the fall s premier event is Qatar, where homosexualy is agast the law.

HOW ALLEGIANCE TO AN ANTI-GAY FAN CHANT AT MEXI SOCCER GAM MIGHT SK EL TRI'S WORLD CUP FORTUN

Last time at the 2019 Women’s World Cup, the Netherlands lay claim to the honor of beg the team wh the most out LGBTQ players, but this year Atralia boasts 10 out players and overtak them for the tle of Gayt Team 2k23. Ireland’s historic entry to the tournament marks another triumph for out midfielr Sead Farrelly, whose natnal team but and 2023 return to the NWSL e more than six years after retirg om soccer the wake of systemic homophobic and sexual abe wh the league, which the Athletic first reported on 2021.

Yet the host untry has not repealed or spend laws that crimalize homosexualy.

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.

BRISH MISTER TELLS GAY FANS AT 2022 WORLD CUP QATAR TO 'BE RPECTFUL'

(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.

THERE ARE 0 OUT GAY PLAYERS AT THE MEN’S WORLD CUP. THERE WERE 40 WOMEN 2019

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.

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

Mexi's soccer feratn has been sanctned repeatedly by world erng body FIFA recent years for a homophobic chant ed by s fans durg Mexin natnal team gam, whether at home or away. Referee Barton took the cisn to abandon the game bee of the homophobic chant.

In a practice believed to have started among fans the early 2000s — one outlet highlights a 2004 Olympic qualifier between the USA and Mexi — Mexin natnal team fans jo unison to shout a Spanish-language homophobic slur ("p***, " which roughly translat to "gay prostute") when an opposg goalkeeper puts the ball to play on a goal kick. The argument for years was that the word has multiple cultural meangs Mexi and other Spanish-speakg untri and that is not tend as a homophobic slur when ed by fans a stadium. But there's no gettg around the fact that 's a rogatory term that's meang to the gay muny.

When the match rumed, the officials add 12 mut of stoppage time, but they only got through seven of them before the referee cid to stop the match early after another loud stallment of the homophobic chant (see highlight qued up to the fal whistle). Conf official has jt told me that the match HAS NOT been abandoned bee of homophobic chant spe fishg 4 mut before the 12 mut of stoppage time were up.

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

Overnight, CONCACAF released a statement nfirmg is vtigatg the ntued e of homophobic chants by Mexi fans durg last night’s game. In June 2021, FIFA sanctned the Mexin feratn for homophobic chants by Mexin fans at Olympic qualifiers played Guadalajara, Mexi March 2021: a $65, 000 fe and two official home match played behd closed doors. The FIFA Disciplary Commtee also opened separate proceedgs agast Mexi nnectn wh homophobic chants by fans at a iendly agast Iceland played Arlgton, Texas, May 2021.

The anti-gay chant was ed durg 2022 World Cup qualifyg home gam agast Canada and Honduras at the Estad Azte. DOHA, Qatar (AFP) — 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 crimalizg homosexualy.

Organizers of the 2022 soccer spectacle traveled to Bra recent months to meet Liverpool fan clubs cludg the si’s gay supporters’ group, dividuals briefed on the meetg have told AFP. There are no openly gay or bisexual players the English men’s Premier League, but major clubs have implemented zero-tolerance polici for homophobia and embraced the “rabow lac” mpaign agast discrimatn. Though there are no openly gay venu Doha, a handful of bars are known to be more gay-iendly and attract a loyal clientele of airle staff, hospaly workers and other expatriat.

UK MISTER CRICISED OVER LL FOR GAY WORLD CUP FANS TO SHOW RPECT QATAR

Web ers do not face rtrictns accsg gay datg apps like Grdr Qatar, unlike other Gulf untri, although ers rarely display intifiable pictur. Beg gay is haram to their relign, ” said a gay barman om the Philipp livg the nservative Mlim untry who spoke on ndn of anonymy. He shared a monly held fear that police monor gay apps and perdilly port homosexuals — although there is limed evince for this.

A gay choreographer visg Qatar om South Ai scribed the untry as “challengg. Durg the last World Cup Rsia, ternatnal anti-discrimatn work FARE opened a match-screeng area for gay and ethnic mory soccer fans Mosw.