Foreign secretary James Cleverly has been slammed by England 's LGBT+ supporters group after suggesting that members of the community travelling to Qatar must 'respect' their laws against homosexuality.
The Middle East country will host the World Cup this winter, but members of the LGBT+ community can be sentenced to death. While Qatar and FIFA have made pledges that the community will be safe to travel for the tournament, major concerns remain about those promises.
Further anger was unleashed on Wednesday when Cleverly suggested that LGBT+ people travelling to Qatar should 'compromise' on showing their identity. Cleverly revealed he had spoken to the Qatari government but could not confirm that the LGBT+ community would be safe if they travelled.
“I have spoken to the Qatari authorities in the past about gay football fans going to the World Cup, and how they will treat our fans and international fans. They want to make sure that football fans are safe, secure and enjoy themselves," he told LBC.
"They know they have to make some compromises in terms of what is an Islamic country, with a very different set of cultural norms to our own. One of the things I’d say to football fans is please do be respectful of the host nation.
"They’re trying to ensure that people can be themselves and enjoy the football. I think with a little bit of flex and compromise at both ends, it can be a safe and secure World Cup.”
Cleverly's comments have provoked huge anger among the LGBT+ community, with his suggestion that people should compromise on their identity. Three Lions Pride delivered a stinging rebuke of the foreign secretary, blasting his comments.
"With respect, this is an extremely unhelpful intervention that shows a lack of understanding and context. To insinuate that an acceptable and proportionate safety measure is to ‘be less queer’ forces us back into the closet and risks mental health crises," the group said in a statement.
"It also is not an option for everyone. Some trans and gender diverse fans don’t have the option of ‘being less visibly queer’. We’ve sought answers, assurances and details numerous times over recent years and this PR line of a “World Cup for all” is not backed by action.
"For a UK minister to step in and endorse it as a legitimate aim undermines our work and our conversations. And that’s before we even get on to the situation for LGBT+ Qataris who under Penal Code 2004 can be arrested, and under Sharia Law can face the death penalty.
"In conclusion, this statement is contradictory (“ensuring people can be themselves” by being less themselves), disregards the voices & experiences of LGBT+ Qataris, speaks over LGBT+ fans & plays into the fractioning of us as either ‘tolerable’ queers or ones who are too much."
The UK's leading LGBT charity Stonewall have also criticised Cleverly for his comments. And they also insisted that Qatar must be held to account to ensure that any LGBT+ fans are safe if they travel.
"LGBTQ+ people in Qatar are criminalised and persecuted for simply existing and cannot compromise who they are," Robbie de Santos, Director of Communications and External Affairs at Stonewall told Mirror Football.
"It's vital that the international community, including FIFA, make clear that they expect Qatari authorities to respect and uphold freedom of assembly and expression and the rights of all, including LGBTQ+ people.
"In 2022, it is deeply concerning that countries that have appalling human rights records are rewarded with the rights to host one of the world largest sporting tournaments."
