FIFA’s ‘huge wound’ as LGBTQ rights swirl at Qatar World Cup: Hall of Fame – National

Carey Sirwetnik, the first woman to be inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame and an advocate for equal rights in sport, was in Qatar for the 2022 World Cup and the event was called ‘Let’s Find That Joy Yet’ It is said that

The tournament, which begins on Sunday and runs through December 18, faces a swirl of concerns about LGBTQ and other human rights issues.

Captains of several European nations scrap plans to wear ‘OneLove’ armbands to show solidarity with LGBTQ community after football’s governing body FIFA warns they face on-field sanctions Did. According to media reports from Qatar, some fans wearing rainbow-colored costumes were denied entry to the stadium.

Serwetnik, who is gay, feels very safe in Qatar during the World Cup, but admits his concerns.

“If I lived here, it would probably be a different story. It’s a very conservative country,” she said. “I don’t think the horror is imagined.”

She has participated in eight other FIFA World Cups and five FIFA Women’s World Cups. She said human rights issues were casting a “shadow” on this year’s event.

“There is a very negative focus on the Games in the media, including human rights, worker deaths and LGBTQ issues, but it seems the Games are still trying to find some fun,” she said.

“Of course, this is a big wound for (FIFA). They are being slammed in the press. I think they will seriously consider their future choices, but I think the Middle East deserves the World Cup.”

Some rights activists are using the World Cup to draw attention to the situation of Qatar’s LGBTQ citizens and residents. Human Rights Watch cited alleged cases of police brutality, arrests based solely on gender representation, and government-funded forced conversion therapy of transgender people.

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“The Qatar government has called for an immediate end to this abuse, and FIFA is committed to ensuring long-term reforms to protect LGBT people from discrimination and violence in Qatar,” said Rasha Younes, LGBT rights researcher at Human Rights Watch. We have to work with the government,” he said. News release last month.

Qatar said it would welcome everyone to the World Cup, including LGBTQ fans, but that visitors should respect the country’s culture.

Josie Nixon of the You Can Play Project, which advocates for LGBTQ people in North American sports, said scrutiny must move from the host country “to FIFA.”

“Qatar has been in this lens even before the World Cup microscope came to the region. It was FIFA’s decision that put the interview.

The You Can Play Project is part of the Human Rights Coalition, but Nixon said FIFA’s “lack of effort” to engage with the group.

The list of demands made to FIFA and Qatar organizers includes repeal of laws targeting LGBTQ people, provision of “explicit security guarantees” against harassment, arrest or detention, and long-term protection of LGBTQ people in the region. It includes measures to ensure safety.

“We are looking for alternative ways to ensure the safety of our fans and to ensure that fans around the world feel they can attend the tournament without violating morals. There have been many boycotts. There are,” said Nixon.

Meanwhile, Soccer Canada has announced that they are partnering with the You Can Play Project.

“Continuing the international conversation on LGBTQ2S+ issues in Qatar beyond the closing whistle to ensure that our own policies, teams and the environments in which we work and play are as safe as possible. We are announcing this now to reassure that,” Canadian football general secretary Earl Cochrane said in a statement on Friday.

He said the four-year partnership would “evolve” towards the next World Cup in North America in 2026.

On Wednesday, Canada qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1986, losing 1-0 to Belgium. Canada’s next game is against Croatia on Sunday.

© 2022 The Canadian Press