The Tory Foreign Secretary has been branded “shockingly tone deaf” after urging LGBT football fans to “compromise” at the World Cup in Qatar.
James Cleverly said Brits visiting the country - where gay sex is illegal - should show “a little bit of flex” and “be respectful of the host nation”.
Mr Cleverly’s comments reflect Foreign Office advice to UK travellers, which says “homosexual behaviour is illegal in Qatar” and “any intimacy” between even opposite-sex couples can lead to arrest.
But it comes two days after Keir Starmer said he will not attend the World Cup even if England make it to the final due to Qatar’s human rights record.
Shadow Sport Secretary Lucy Powell said: “This is shockingly tone deaf from James Cleverly. Sport should be open to all.
“Many fans will feel they can't attend this tournament to cheer on their team because of Qatar's record on human, workers, and LGBT+ rights.
"The government should be challenging FIFA on how they've put fans in this position, and ensuring the full safety of all fans attending, not defending discriminatory values."
It comes after veteran campaigner Peter Tatchell said he was arrested after staging the first LGBT protest in the country to highlight its human rights abuses in the run-up to the sporting event.
Mr Cleverly told LBC radio: "I haven't spoken with the government of Qatar in direct response to Peter Tatchell, but my understanding is that he was questioned, that he was supported by the FCDO's consular team.
"I have spoken to the Qatari authorities in the past about gay football fans going to watch 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, and they know that that means they are going to 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 would say for football fans is, you know, please do be respectful of the host nation.
"They are trying to ensure that people can be themselves and enjoy the football, and I think with a little bit of flex and compromise at both ends, it can be a safe, secure and exciting World Cup."
He also told Sky News that the UK has "incredibly important partners in the Middle East".
"These are Muslim countries, they have very different cultural starting point for us. I think it's important when you're a visitor to a country that you respect the culture of your host nation."
Earlier this week it was alleged Qatar security forces arrested and abused LGBT people as recently as last month.
The Human Rights Watch group interviewed four transgender women, one bisexual woman and a gay man detained between 2019 and 2022.
They said they were verbally abused, kicked and punched after being held without charge in an underground jail in Doha. One had their head shaved and another was in solitary confinement.
HRW said: “All six said police forced them to sign pledges indicating they would ‘cease immoral activity’.” It added trans women were told to attend “conversion therapy’.
England skipper Harry Kane will wear an anti-discrimination armband at the World Cup as part of the FA’s plans to highlight human rights.
Qatar said HRW’s claims contain “information that is unequivocally false”.
It added everyone is welcome at the World Cup, which starts on November 20, regardless of their sexuality.
Qatar did warn against public shows of affection and said it does not “operate ‘conversion centres’.”
