Eva Week 10- The World Cup and Gay People

Would you feel comfortable traveling to a country that is openly arresting, assaulting, and discriminating against Jewish people? Would you feel comfortable traveling to that country even if they said you are welcome as long as you do not display the fact that you are Jewish? Would you want to support any event happening in that country?

Last week Rebecca wrote about the World Cup and some controversies towards the games being held in Qatar. I’m going to specifically focus on Qatar's stance on LGBTQ+ rights and how that affects the World Cup.

First, let’s start with some background. Qatar has many criminalizing laws towards LGBTQ+ in place, specifically towards gay men. They include the prohibition of sex between two adult men or women which is punishable for up to 7 years in prison, the execution of married Muslim men found engaging in sex, and the criminalization of men seducing other men to commit ‘immoral actions’. In October, the Human Rights Watch reported that LGBTQ people were being arbitrarily arrested and subjected to ill-treatment in Qatar including physical abuse such as slapping, kicking, or punching until they bled and verbal abuse along with singing pledges to “cease immoral activity.” 

So what does this mean for the World Cup? Let me start by referring to a comment that the Qatar FIFA World Cup ambassador said in an interview with a German broadcaster: that homosexuality is “damage in the mind” and being gay is “haram.” Along with the World Cup ambassador blatantly stating his disapproval towards the LGBTQ community, FIFA said that team captains wearing the OneLove rainbow armbands in Qatar would be penalized including the captain receiving a yellow card. These rainbow armbands are intended to promote diversity and inclusion and can no longer be worn. 

Amidst these civil rights issues, a government official in Qatar told CNN that everyone would be welcome in Qatar regardless of their backgrounds. They also said that inside the official tournament zones, fans can express their identity how they wish, however, Qatar officials have also stated that any public displays of affection will be frowned upon. Although LGBTQ fans are allowed to attend the World Cup event, many do not feel comfortable or safe traveling to Qatar. They do not want to be assaulted or hurt for their identity and are afraid of the target on their backs.







Comments

  1. AnonymousDecember 6, 2022 at 7:57 AM

    Wow, I can't believe oppression like this is still allowed in other countries. While I wrote my blog, I read about this and found one account of a person not being allowed to wear a pride hat in the stadium. They were restricted from entering until they removed and concealed the hat.

    ReplyDelete

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