As Wales football fans finally start to believe their team is going to the World Cup this autumn, the First Minister has made a pointed remark about the host country. Concerns have long been raised about Qatar being the host, due to questions over not only its suitability for a football tournament but its human rights and LGBT record.
Some LGBT fans have vowed to boycott the tournament because they fear for their safety in the Middle Eastern country. In plenary on Tuesday, the First Minister said: "We are absolutely delighted that Wales will be represented at Qatar, but we should not look the other way from the reservations that we would have as a nation from some of those human rights issues that we see there."
Sexual acts between people of the same sex are illegal in Qatar, which also runs Sharia courts, where technically it is possible that Muslim men could be face the death penalty for same-sex sexual activity. There is censorship of LGBT material and trans people cannot change their gender, according to Stonewall's briefing. The charity warn: "Any LGBT-related activities in the region should be approached with caution".
