A co-founder of the Three Lions Pride fans’ group has called on football’s governing bodies to provide more than ‘woolly words’ for LGBTQ+ supporters heading to the World Cup.
Joe White is planning to put safety concerns aside and attend the tournament to show solidarity with people living under repression in Qatar.
The England fan, who attended the last World Cup in Russia, intends to fly out in November if he can secure tickets once they are released by FIFA.
Joe, 28, told Metro.co.uk that it would be ‘abhorrent’ if LGBTQ+ fans were forced to remain at home because of intolerance in the wealthy Gulf state, where same sex relations between men are illegal.
The Arsenal fan called on the governing authorities to provide more than ‘soundbites’ intended to reassure fans that the games will be ‘for everyone’.
Although no specific reason was given for the crackdown, it is unlikely officials were unaware of the connotations, with the colour scheme being a symbol of inclusion widely used in sport ahead of the FIFA World Cup.
Pride, a group for LGBTQ+ fans, wants more clarity over their safety and how they will be able to express themselves at the competition, which is due to kick off at the 60,000-capacity Al Bayt Stadium on November 21.
Joe said: ‘One of the issues is personal safety, and as much as the woolly words from the FA, FIFA and Qatar say it’s going to be a World Cup for everybody, there has been no concrete action to show it’s going to be safe for anybody who’s LGBTQ+ and in particularly trans.
‘I do fear that their safety mechanism is “just don’t act gay” because they can’t guarantee that people will be safe, not just inside the stadiums, but outside for the duration of the tournament.
‘The second issue is what it will be like for LGBTQ+ Qataris, because same sex relations between men is illegal and it’s punishable by imprisonment and technically the death penalty.
‘Qatar is rated as one of the worst places in the world for LGBTQ+ people and there is the moral issue of whether you will make life worse for LGBTQ+ Qataris or if there is anything positive you can do.
‘A third, more broad issue, is accommodation, because at the moment there is none available to book. Qatar’s Supreme Committee was talking about a “host a fan” scheme but that wouldn’t be an option for LGBTQ+ travelling fans, because it wouldn’t be safe.
‘At the moment we only have the pretty, soundbite statements about how it will be a World Cup for all without any actual evidence to back it up.’
Human rights issues in Qatar have been cast into the international glare since it was chosen as the host in 2010.
Same-sex relations between men is punishable with up to five years imprisonment under the state’s penal code.
It has been reported that the offence could also result in the death penalty under Sharia law, from which legislation is derived, although there are no recorded examples of this happening.
The plight of workers building stadiums and facilities has also caused concern, with poor living conditions and restrictive working practices highlighted by Amnesty. More than 6,500 are said to have died since the games were awarded, according to a report by The Guardian.
David Beckham has come under fire over his promotional role for the tournament in a deal said to be worth £150 million.
Qatar has responded to such concerns by stating that fans will be able to display rainbow flags inside the eight stadiums and ‘everyone is welcome’.
However Joe, from Lambeth, South London. questioned if this tolerance would extend outside the grounds.
‘I think there will be issues with unfurling the rainbow colours, especially in public outside the stadiums,’ they said. ‘I would feel far safer inside the stadiums than outside.’
The group’s experience at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Joe’s first games, has led them to believe that their presence can have more impact than staying at home or an outright boycott.
‘We’ve had conversations about whether we should go to the World Cup and we fully respect anyone who wants to boycott the games, but the big question is what it will achieve and if it will improve anything,’ they said.
‘We want to work with LGBTQ+ Qataris and see ultimately what they want. We only went to the World Cup in Russia because LGBTQ+ people there asked us to help them be visible and, even on a micro-scale, we had such positive interactions.
‘One fan saw our banner and walked all the way around the stadium to tell us that being a football fan and a gay man were two worlds he thought would never collide.
‘If it’s a similar situation in Qatar we will do that and use our privileged position to highlight these points. I want to go for the right reasons and have a positive impact.’
Ultimately, the prospect of LGBTQ+ fans staying away because of fears about safety and intolerance leads into the issue of why England are taking part in the tournament at all.
Joe said: ‘If we can’t be authentically ourselves, then why is our team playing there? We are not asking for much, we are just asking for decency and respect and if we can’t go and watch England play because our existence is illegal, that is absolutely abhorrent.
‘If this is going to be a World Cup for all then the legacy has to be a positive one, and that includes for LGBTQ+ Qataris.’
The rainbow clampdown drew sharp condemnation from human rights campaigners who spoke to Metro.co.uk last month. Activist Peter Tatchell described it as an ‘absurd, over-the-top response by a paranoid regime’.
Rainbow colours have been sported by Premier League footballers and by Lewis Hamilton, who supported LGBTQ+ inclusion when he displayed the design on his helmet at the Qatar Grand Prix in November.
The FA has said it is in dialogue with human rights organisations such as Amnesty International and also with FIFA, UEFA, other member associations and the UK government to ensure its participation takes place in a ‘socially responsible manner’.
A spokesperson referred to its latest position, which states: ‘We believe that our game is to be enjoyed and participated in by all, and we will always use our influence as a National Association to challenge hateful conduct both on and off the pitch in a respectful manner.
‘With this in mind, we have sought assurances from the Local Organising Committee regarding LGBTQ+ fans being welcomed in Qatar to support their team during the tournament.
‘We received the unequivocal answer that all fans, including those from LGBTQ+ communities, will be welcome at Qatar 2022, and that the safety and security of every fan is Qatar’s top priority.
‘The Local Organising Committee has informed us that local forces have undergone specific training and education on different cultures to ensure a discrimination-free environment.
‘We will continue dialogue with local authorities on the ground to ensure this is the case, and as we did ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, we will hold forums for supporter groups nearer to the tournament.’
Metro.co.uk has approached FIFA and Qatar’s organisers for comment.
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