Homosexuality is still illegal in Qatar, and with the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar approaching, many LGBTQ fans are asking what will happen if they go.

Pride in Football estimates that on average there are more than 5000 LGBTQ fans per match at Wembley, so it is assumed that there will be a vast number of LGBTQ fans wishing to travel to Qatar for the World Cup.

In a recent press conference, the Chief Executive of the Qatar World Cup stated that

“any fan of any gender, sexual orientation, religion, race should know that Qatar is one of the safest countries in the world, they will be welcome here”.

He continued by stressing that the security personnel are being trained to recognise that things that are culturally different are welcome. But no amount of specific training will change that fact that Homosexuality in Qatar is illegal and can be punishable with a seven-year jail sentence.

Furthermore, the training of security staff is not preventing the residents of Qatar from ‘taking the law into their own hands’ when it comes to LGBTQ supporters expressing themselves at the World Cup.

The Co-founder of the LGBTQ+ football supporters group ‘Three Lions Pride’ has urged Qatar’s authorities to outright state publicly that LGBTQ+ fans will be protected, as they are able to “enforce or suspend laws”. The vagueness of the statement made by the Chief Executive makes people question the validity of the comments, with some stating that it is dangerous to suggest that LGBTQ fans will be safe, without anything being done to firm this statement. In the end, actions speak louder than words.

Harry Kane, the England captain, has pledged to wear an anti-discrimination armband along with the captains of eight other countries. Although when Kane was asked if he would wear the armband even if he was prohibited by FIFA to do so, he stated that

“it’s a question that’s hard to answer right now”

This response is questionable, it gives the impression that Kane is willing to show support if it does affect him or his career in any way.

The sportswriter Jonathan Liew expressed his views on the armband, with him calling it

“a pathetically weak gesture… which could have been stronger”

This is a valid point, it is hard to believe that ‘maybe’ wearing an armband is all that Kane can do to show support for LGBTQ+ fans. For example, if both Kane and the team were truly against the illegality of homosexuality, they could do more… teams and players have the ability to withdraw from the tournament if they really wished. All in all, the ‘show of solidarity’ by Kane and the England Team is performative at best. 

With the World Cup just around the corner, the Qatar authorities must take action to suspend or alter the laws surrounding homosexuality for the duration of the World Cup, or the country risks excluding a chunk of football fans from both visiting the games, and watching at home.