James Cleverly MP tells LGBTQ+ fans to “compromise” at World Cup in Qatar
James Cleverly has told LGBTQ+ fans travelling to Qatar for the World Cup to be “respectful of the host nation” in order to stay safe there.
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 the LGBTQ+ community is subjected to discriminatory laws.
The newly appointed Foreign Secretary told LBC that he had “spoken to the Qatari authorities” about “how they will treat our fans and international fans.” “They want to make sure that football fans are safe, secure and enjoy themselves, and they know that that means they are going to have to make some compromises in terms of what is an Islamic country with a very different set of cultural norms to our own,” Cleverly continued. “One of the things I would say for football fans is, you know, please do be respectful of the host nation.
They are trying to ensure that people can be themselves and enjoy the football, and I think with a little bit of flex and compromise at both ends, it can be a safe, secure and exciting World Cup.” His comments come just days 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.
