Senedd members including First Minister Mark Drakeford have gathered in their Rainbow Laces to show solidarity with LGBT+ people in Qatar and raise awareness of the injustice faced by its residents year-round. Under Qatari laws, LGBT+ people are oppressed: same-sex relationships are criminalised, and trans people are forced to undergo conversion therapy clinics sponsored by the government, Stonewall reports. Many LGBT+ people suffer imprisonment and violence simply for being themselves, and in some cases, could even face the death penalty.
Two weeks before the tournament started, it was reported that an ambassador for the World Cup in Qatar described homosexuality as "damage in the mind", despite the country's Foreign Minister accusing negative media coverage about Qatar's human rights of "misinformation" - and saying the tournament would welcome everyone. Read more here.
And on Tuesday as the Red Wall filled the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium stadium in Qatar to watch Wales play their last match of the tournament, Stonewall has been filling a virtual ‘Proud Stadium’ with supporters of LGBT+ rights, coming together to shine a light on the injustices that LGBT+ communities face in Qatar and in many more countries around the world. The aim is to reach 80,000 people: the size of the Lusail Stadium in Qatar where the World Cup final will be held – and has already hit around 55,000.
