Gay football fans should not have to promise Qatar, says Nadhim Zahawi | World Cup 2022 | The Guardian

Contents:

• GAY FOOTBALL FANS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PROMISE QATAR, SAYS NADHIM ZAHAWI
• UK MISTER CRICISED OVER LL FOR GAY WORLD CUP FANS TO SHOW RPECT QATAR
• BOYTT QATAR? IT’S NOT THAT SIMPLE: GAY FOOTBALL EXPERTS ON DIFFICULT CHOICE FACG WORLD CUP FANS
• GAY FOOTBALLER JOSH CAVALLO WOULD BE ‘SRED’ TO PLAY AT WORLD CUP QATAR

GAY FOOTBALL FANS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PROMISE QATAR, SAYS NADHIM ZAHAWI

“It don’t matter if you’re lbian, if you’re gay, ’s for everyone. Homosexualy Qatar is illegal and punishable by up to three years prison. But there have been mixed msag wh a World Cup ambassador and former footballer Khalid Salman sayg earlier this month that homosexualy was “damage the md, ” an terview wh German broadster ZDF.

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

He is a regular at England ternatnals and was once the victim of a homophobic asslt, he says, at Wembley four years ago, ahead of England’s match agast Spa 2018, when he had an altertn wh another fan. ”Zahawi’s ments seemgly ntradict those ma by Jam Cleverly, his bet lleague, who on Wednday said gay football fans should show rpect to Qatar. Cleverly had said Qatar was willg to make promis to allow people would normally persecute to attend the tournament, sayg: “I have spoken to the Qatari thori the past about gay football fans gog to watch the World Cup and how they will treat our fans and ternatnal add: “They want to make sure that football fans are safe, secure and enjoy themselv.

”The tournament, which will be held Qatar om 20 November, has faced cricism due to Qatar’s poor human rights rerd and s treatment of the LGBTQ+ muny, wh homosexualy past newsletter promotnafter newsletter promotnAcrdg to a report by Amnty Internatnal, human right ab still “persist on a signifint sle” the untry. The UK foreign secretary, Jam Cleverly, has been cricised for tellg gay football fans they should show rpect to Qatar, which crimalis their sexualy, when attendg the World Cup the emirate.

Cleverly said: “I have spoken to the Qatari thori the past about gay football fans gog to watch the World Cup and how they will treat our fans and ternatnal fans. ”The broadster and former England footballer Gary Leker asked: “Whatever you do, don’t do anythg gay.

BOYTT QATAR? IT’S NOT THAT SIMPLE: GAY FOOTBALL EXPERTS ON DIFFICULT CHOICE FACG WORLD CUP FANS

Cleverly told LBC rad he unrstood that the mpaigner had been qutned and was beg supported by the Foreign Office’s nsular said he would attend the World Cup if his diary allowed, and he cricised the Labour lear, Keir Starmer, for sayg he would refe to do so bee of Qatar’s rerd on homosexualy and other human rights issu.

Tatchell h back at Cleverly, claimg that attendg the tournament would amount to “lludg wh a homophobic, sexist and racist regime”. “They talk about beg clive and welg… but they very rarely e the acronym LGBT, they rarely refer directly to gay rights, they rarely go to specifics.

Jack Dunn, a foundg member of LGBTQ+ gby fan associatn Qus Pri, said that as a gay football fan, the World Cup beg held Qatar is “heartbreakg”. The world’s only openly gay top‑flight men’s footballer says he would be “sred” to play at the World Cup tournament Qatar next year bee of the emirate’s harsh ban on homosexualy and legal penalti rangg om floggg to lengthy prison terms and Cavallo, 21, who plays for Alai Uned Atralia’s A-League, received a wave of support om football fans and current and former players last month after openg up about his sexualy a vio posted to the club’s social media feeds. ”The announcement ma Cavallo the only out gay player men’s profsnal football, his isolatn stark a sport whose admistrators have lnched high-profile public mpaigns recent years embracg LGBT fans and only a handful of male players have ever e out, ntrast to the women’s game, which has easily blown past the same barrier: more than 40 lbian or bisexual players took part the 2019 women’s World Cup France, acrdg to Fifa.

GAY FOOTBALLER JOSH CAVALLO WOULD BE ‘SRED’ TO PLAY AT WORLD CUP QATAR

Crics have raised the fact that Fifa ntu to award World Cups to untri such as Rsia – where homophobia has been lled a “state‑sponsored” project – and Qatar, where same-sex acts are illegal, as evince of the erng body’s patchy mment to if holdg the tournament a untry wh strict penalti for homosexualy sent the wrong msage to gay footballers and fans, Cavallo, who has played for Atralia’s unr-20s ternatnal si, told the Guardian’s daily news podst that he would be aaid for his safety if asked to participate the 2022 Qatar World Cup. 'I'm a footballer and I'm gay': A-League player Josh Cavallo talks about his sexualy – vio“I read somethg along the l of that [they] give the ath penalty for gay people Qatar, so ’s somethg I’m very sred [of] and wouldn’t really want to go to Qatar for that, ” he said. At the end of the day the World Cup is Qatar and one of the greatt achievements as a profsnal footballer is to play for your untry, and to know that this is a untry that don’t support gay people and puts at risk of our own life, that do sre me and mak me re-evaluate – is my life more important than dog somethg really good my reer?

”Homosexual acts are banned unr several Qatari laws wh penalti rangg om at least a year to a prison. Mlims the untry n be subject to Sharia law that bans any sexual activy outsi marriage wh punishments rangg up to the ath penalty, meang homosexual acts n technilly rult executn, though several human rights reports have said there is no evince any gay people have been executed for the offence.