England’s Beth Mead won’t support World Cup due to Qatar’s anti-gay laws
England forward Beth Mead said she will not support the men’s World Cup in Qatar due to the country’s discriminatory anti-gay laws.
This year’s tournament has been marred with controversy since it was announced that it would take place in the Gulf state, where homosexuality is illegal and LGBTQ+ people are persecuted.
Mead told BBC Radio 4 that the ban on homosexuality is “the complete opposite to what I believe and respect.” “It’s not something I will be backing or promoting,” she continued. “It’s disappointing in the sense that there’s no respect on a lot of levels, even though it’s a game of football.” Her comments come not long after the Human Rights Watch reported cases of LGBTQ+ people being detained and subjected to “ill-treatment in detention” in Qatar as recently as last month.
There were at least six cases of “severe and repeated beatings” reported, as well as five incidences of “sexual harassment in police custody between 2019 and 2022.” This is despite the Football Association assuring fans that they will not face arrest for kissing or holding hands in public at the World Cup in November. “Although I’m cheering for the boys who are going to play football there, from the minute it was announced I thought it wasn’t the best idea,” Mead added. “We’re in the 21st century and you fall in love with who you fall in love with.
