FIFA World Cup: Some LGBTQ2 fans skipping Qatar tournament, fearing hostility

FIFA's top officials have recently urged the teams preparing for the World Cup to focus on soccer and avoid letting the game be dragged into ideological or political battles.

At first, Saskia Nino de Rivera was excited about going to Qatar for a World Cup that would mark a significant professional event for her partner, a sports agent for Mexico soccer players. She even contemplated privately proposing there during a game, and posting photos once they left the country.

But as the lesbian couple learned more about laws on same-sex relations in the conservative Gulf country, the plans no longer sounded like a good idea. Instead, Nino de Rivera proposed at an Amsterdam stadium this summer and opted to skip the World Cup altogether.

“As a lesbian woman, it’s really hard for me to feel and think that we are going to a country where we don’t know what could happen and how we could be safe,” she said. “It was a really hard decision.”

Nino de Rivera’s concerns are shared by many LGBTQ2 soccer fans and their allies worldwide. Some have been mulling whether to attend the tournament, or even watch it on television.

Qatar’s laws against gay sex and treatment of LGBTQ2 people are flashpoints in the run-up to the first World Cup to be held in the Middle East, or in any Arab or Muslim country.

Qatar has said all are welcome, including LGBTQ2 fans, but that visitors should respect the nation’s culture, in which public displays of affection by anyone are frowned on. With his country facing criticism over a number of issues, Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, recently argued it “has been subjected to an unprecedented campaign” that no host country has ever faced.

An ambassador for the World Cup in Qatar, however, has described homosexuality as a “damage in the mind” in an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF. Aired this week, the comments by former Qatari national team player Khalid Salman highlighted concerns about the conservative country’s treatment of gays and lesbians.

Some LGBTQ2 rights activists are seizing the moment to draw attention, with a heightened sense of urgency, to the conditions of LGBTQ2 citizens and residents in Qatar. They want to raise concerns about how these people may be treated after the tournament ends and the international spotlight fades.