Activists lash out after teams including England and Wales say players won’t wear armbands at FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
England, Wales and five other European nations have confirmed that their players will not wear armbands, and the football associations have said their captains could be booked or kicked off the pitch if they do. clarified.
The move drew criticism from LGBTQ+ groups, with mixed reactions as to who was to blame.
LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall tweeted: “By threatening sporting sanctions and banning players from wearing #OneLove bracelets, FIFA is covering up criticism of human rights violations.
“LGBTQ+ people are considered criminals in Qatar for being who they are. A country that violates the human rights of its own people in this way should not have the honor of hosting a major sporting event.
Pride in Football, a network of LGBTQ+ supporters groups in the UK, said on Twitter, “The gesture, which has been symbolic from the start, has become yet another embarrassment for FIFA. FIFA has needed to clarify this since September. There have been, but have waited until now to threaten sanctions. FIFA denies players their basic and most basic human right to freedom of expression.
“Countries, teams and players are happy to defend LGBTQ+ people until they themselves are at risk. LGBTQ+ Qataris face a bigger punishment than just a yellow card. The gestures and the activism ended quite easily at the thought of reprimand.”
“This World Cup is not for all, it has never been for all, and until it ends will not be for all,” it added:
Referring to the murder of five people at a gay bar in Colorado Springs over the weekend, he said, “For those with the huge platform of the World Cup, it was a great opportunity to show solidarity with the community. But it fell apart.” Actions speak louder than words, and these actions suggest that the risk of yellow cards outweighs the rights of LGBTQ+ people in Qatar.”
“The OneLove bracelet was the smallest gesture. LGBTQ+ people weren’t even specifically mentioned,” said Peter Tatchell, director of the Peter Tatchell Foundation, a human rights group. It was too much for FIFA, who bullied the England team into not wearing it.
“Two days ago Fifa’s president spoke of inclusivity but this ruling shows his true colours. I urge the team captains at their post-match press conferences to spend just 30 seconds to speak out for the rights of women, LGBTs and migrant workers. That would have a huge impact, reaching a global audience of hundreds of millions of people.”
A joint statement from 3 Lions Pride and Rainbow Wall, LGBTQ+ advocacy groups in England and Wales, said:
“In seeking to censor European FA’s and players by forcing them to abandon using the OneLove armband aimed at tackling all forms of discrimination, Fifa are guilty of crushing the basic human rights to freedom of speech and of expression that every single one of us should have without question.
“In doing so, Fifa are also guilty of silencing anti-discrimination work within the game and of giving a platform to hatred. This abuse of power by those who have chosen to remain silent for so long is a gross betrayal of trust and cannot be allowed to stand. We have no faith in Fifa, no trust in this World Cup, there is #NoPrideWithoutAll #WeBelong.”
Twitter screenshots show Joe Lycet appearing to shred £10,000 of his own money after sending an ultimatum to David Beckham. Looks like he’s blowing up £10,000 for David Beckham’s role in Qatar World Cup.
Meanwhile, comedian Joe Lycett has revealed that £10,000 in cash he supposedly discarded as part of a protest against the treatment of LGBTQ+ people in Qatar was not actually destroyed.
Lycett threatened to wipe out the money unless former England international David Beckham cut Qatar’s ties with the World Cup because of the country’s laws against homosexuality.
Beckham didn’t respond, so it looked like Lycett had gotten the deed done. But on Monday, he said the money that went into the shredder was real but not destroyed, and that it was actually for LGBTQ+ charities ahead of time. He revealed that he had donated to the organization.
“I would never destroy real money, I would never be so irresponsible. It was an empty threat to get people talking. In many ways it was like your deal with Qatar, David. Total bullshit from the start,” Lycett said on Twitter
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