Qatar 2022: Despite Qatar & FIFA promises, supporters of the LGBTQ+ community reportedly face difficulties accessing matches
Gearing up for the 2022 World Cup, Qatar and FIFA promised that "everyone is welcome" when asked about the safety of LGBTQ+ people visiting Qatar, in light of local laws which make same sex relationships illegal.
However, with the tournament underway, several reports reveal fans sporting rainbow-coloured items have been restricted access to football matches. In one incident, Welsh fans wearing rainbow hats were told to take them off if they want to watch the Wales vs USA game. German fans faced a similar ask when they tried to enter a stadium wearing rainbow armbands. In another incident, American Journalist Grant Wahl was also told to take a rainbow top off before entering a match.
Immediately before the tournament started, FIFA declined the request of numerous teams to wear rainbow armbands as part of the OneLove campaign. FIFA said it goes against the dress code, and instead launched its own campaign featuring armbands with "no discrimination" written on them, which it allowed all teams to wear.
“On Monday, Cymru returned to the World Cup for the first time in 64 years, an historic moment for the squad, the valued fans...and the nation. However, the FAW were extremely disappointed by reports that members of Y Wal Goch, which included FAW staff members, were asked to remove and discard their Rainbow Wall bucket hats before entry to the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium. These bucket hats were created in partnership with the FAW...The FAW has collated information on these alleged incidents and will be addressing this matter directly with Fifa.”Football Associated of Wales
“FIFA is an inclusive organization that wants to put football to the benefit of society by supporting good and legitimate causes, but it has to be done within the framework of the competition regulations which are known to everyone,”FIFA