Map of Qatar |
It is being awarded to Qatar, a nation with a disgraceful human rights record, especially in the area of LGBT rights.
Article 201 of the 1971 Penal Code punishes sodomy between consenting adults (irrespective of sex) with up to five years in prison. There are also incidents of these laws being enforced on non-citizens. Now there are LGBT football fans, I know I'm one of them.
- What happens if we want to visit the 2022 World Cup, are we to leave our partners behind?
- Are we to sleep in separate beds, rooms, hotels, cities?
- What if in celebrating a goal or victory we forget where we are and get over affectionate even for just a fleeting second in full view of a policeman?
- What if we turn up married or civil partnered with passports that say so, wearing matching rings?
- Would we get lifted as we arrive and carted off to prison?
Gay Football Supporters Network |
Qatar is not just homophobic it is a gay criminalising state.
If we are imprisoned I bet the cell wouldn't have the multi-million pound air conditioning that the stadia (as yet unbuilt) that will spring up in Qatar.
Bid logo |
We should start by boycotting Qatari products:
- Qatar Airlines
- the Qatar Moto GP
- Qatar Petroleum
- Holiday in Qatar's fine hotels
- etc.
Personally I'd not feel safe travelling to Qatar, especially if I was doing so with a partner, I'm just too affectionate. I don't even think I should even contemplate watching the games on television. So I guess I'll not even be watching the 2022 World Cup, even on TV, thanks to decision of FIFA today. Wonder what I'll end up doing instead?
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