Gay supporters and players at the 2022 World Cup Qatar

Freiheit

Homosexuality is illegal and punishable by up to five years in prision with flogging optional in Qatar. It is also illegal for women to wear provactive clothing. I'm just wondering whether exceptions will be made for supporters or players? or will it be a gay free zone?.

Should the second largest sporting event in the world have been awarded to such a nation?.

stephen_n

Freiheit wrote: »

Homosexuality is illegal and punishable by up to five years in prision with flogging optional in Qatar. It is also illegal for women to wear provactive clothing. I'm just wondering whether exceptions will be made for supporters or players? or will it be a gay free zone?.

Should the second largest sporting event in the world have been awarded to such a nation?.

Another reason for gay professional footballers not to come out, suit FIFA down to the ground. As there is only one openly gay international player at the moment they probably don't consider it an issue.

Should they have got it? Answer of course not, a country with a population of 1 million with no footballing tradition at all. Which has serious human rights issues and only grants rights to hetrosexual males if it was anyone else other than FIFA then this would be shocking. Qatar has to build all new stadiums for this as it has no soccer stadiums at present. They can only use FIFA approved construction firms (how do you get approved? answers on a brown envelope to Sep Blatter) so your looking at maybe 1.5 to 2 billion dollars in contracts. This is something we know a lot about in Ireland, money talks and any sense of decency walks!

rainbow kirby

stephen_n wrote: »

Should they have got it? Answer of course not, a country with a population of 1 million with no footballing tradition at all. Which has serious human rights issues and only grants rights to hetrosexual males if it was anyone else other than FIFA then this would be shocking. Qatar has to build all new stadiums for this as it has no soccer stadiums at present. They can only use FIFA approved construction firms (how do you get approved? answers on a brown envelope to Sep Blatter) so your looking at maybe 1.5 to 2 billion dollars in contracts. This is something we know a lot about in Ireland, money talks and any sense of decency walks!

Exactly what I was thinking. I would have considered Australia a far more suitable alternative for 2022, but clearly money overrules any common sense. Qatar has no soccer history, discriminates in law against anyone who isn't a straight male Muslim, and has a completely unsuitable climate (40-50C in June/July) for a summer football tournament.

stephen_n

rainbow kirby wrote: »

Exactly what I was thinking. I would have considered Australia a far more suitable alternative for 2022, but clearly money overrules any common sense. Qatar has no soccer history, discriminates in law against anyone who isn't a straight male Muslim, and has a completely unsuitable climate (40-50C in June/July) for a summer football tournament.

Apparently some Irish company has built the air conditioning system for the one stadium they have built so far, which will negate the heat on the pitch and in the stands! An alcohol free world cup is going to be strange too!

Bodhisopha

stephen_n wrote: »

Another reason for gay professional footballers not to come out, suit FIFA down to the ground. As there is only one openly gay international player at the moment they probably don't consider it an issue.

Should they have got it? Answer of course not, a country with a population of 1 million with no footballing tradition at all. Which has serious human rights issues and only grants rights to hetrosexual males if it was anyone else other than FIFA then this would be shocking. Qatar has to build all new stadiums for this as it has no soccer stadiums at present. They can only use FIFA approved construction firms (how do you get approved? answers on a brown envelope to Sep Blatter) so your looking at maybe 1.5 to 2 billion dollars in contracts. This is something we know a lot about in Ireland, money talks and any sense of decency walks!

There are no openly gay international footballers at the moment, as far as i'm aware.

SugarHigh

stephen_n wrote: »

Apparently some Irish company has built the air conditioning system for the one stadium they have built so far, which will negate the heat on the pitch and in the stands! An alcohol free world cup is going to be strange too!

I don't think it's an irish company. They said British on c4 news and they showed the system they already built for wimbledon.

cgcsb

Irish passport holders are pretty much exempt from the same laws in Dubai, Egypt, etc. If a person was arasted, they'd be freed in a 24 hour period, most likely.

Max Power1

cgcsb wrote: »

Irish passport holders are pretty much exempt from the same laws in Dubai, Egypt, etc. If a person was arasted, they'd be freed in a 24 hour period, most likely.

shouldnt even have to come into it.

A country with such regressive laws should not have been awarded the 2nd biggest sporting tournament (after the olympics) in the world.

L1011

stephen_n wrote: »

As there is only one openly gay international player at the moment they probably don't consider it an issue.

Who?

stephen_n

Bodhisopha wrote: »

There are no openly gay international footballers at the moment, as far as i'm aware.

MYOB wrote: »

Who?

I'll have to find where I saw it and post the links, but it was a German Professional player and I think he has played international!

stephen_n

SugarHigh wrote: »

I don't think it's an irish company. They said British on c4 news and they showed the system they already built for wimbledon.

http://www.emigrant.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=80964&Itemid=168

Dublin based according to this report!

Chuchoter

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2010/1213/breaking47.html
Turns out FIFA don't really care what happens to their gay fans and basically were well aware of the situation before they picked Qatar

Bottle_of_Smoke

The only good thing about this is it will probably modernise Qatar to a certain(if small) degree.

They'll have to accommodate fans and tone down the sharia sentiment - and they've got 12 years to do it. After its over there will be a business interests wanting tourists back which inevitably means modernisation. In between theres gonna be thousands of immigrants and investments.

It is wrong a huge event isn't taking notice of their ridiculous laws but at the same time the long term effect may be beneficial. Lots of gay people in Qatar if this tournament makes their life a bit better then fair play.

secman

The Irish Co that built the protoype is "Mercury Engineering" head office in sandyford.

The remark by Sepp Blatter was typical of the man, he is a moron, the type that just makes you wonder "how he that guy get to where he is now, just how ?" Pee Flynn is another one ........

Anyways

secman

stephen_n

Septic Bladder can get where he is because he is representative of the views of his organization! The only reason FIFA reacted on racism In football was because the emerging markets in the far east were going to bring in billions in revenue! If they considered the pink pound to be a good earner they would take a similar stance on homophobia in football but they don't so it will never be an issue for them!

gmale

Not wanting to make generalisations...but Qatar....anyone else thinking that this could be a serious terrorist threat? Hundreds of Thousands of westerners, doing what football fans do best, drinking, all in a Muslim country!

bigbadbear

i hope it westernises Qatar. the surrounding countries to follow

Bottle_of_Smoke

gmale wrote: »

Not wanting to make generalisations...but Qatar....anyone else thinking that this could be a serious terrorist threat? Hundreds of Thousands of westerners, doing what football fans do best, drinking, all in a Muslim country!

Might make it safer. A massive islamic terrorist attack was thwarted at the last minute for France 98. Every large grouping of people is a terrorist threat.

magneticimpulse

bigbadbear wrote: »

i hope it westernises Qatar. the surrounding countries to follow

I think it has a huge way to go. Fair enough I was only in Qatar in 2006. But I was hugely shocked by how different and conservative a country it was. They were obviously doing alot of construction, and Qatar airways has brought alot of visitors to the country as a stopover place.

Anyway the women were all in full birka's...ALL of the women. They were obviously not allowed to walk alone. This meant each woman had a man guiding her to where ever they were going. The women obviously couldnt see where they were walking, so the men had to hold them and then women followed blindly behind the man.

The gifts from Qatar were Barbies in Birka...birka barbie holding a baby and birka barbie cooking. Or Ken Birka man.

All the men stared at me (a woman walking around by herself) as if I was an alien.

I think Dubai is Conservative, but at least the emirates started building around 1992...so by now in 2010 its a bit more open. However you still here stories in the news of British people getting done for having sex without marriage...even boyfriends and girlfriends is illegal if your not married!!!! Kissing in public for heterosexuals also illegal. Drinking etc and thats in Dubai.

Hell nothing existed in Doha, Qatar in 2006. So they are only starting to get visitors. There is no way they will be western by 2022!!! How many people do you hear going to Qatar on their holidays? Prob none.

Public displays of being heterosexual is illegal...never mind being open about homosexual's!!!

magneticimpulse

cgcsb wrote: »

Irish passport holders are pretty much exempt from the same laws in Dubai, Egypt, etc. If a person was arasted, they'd be freed in a 24 hour period, most likely.

I doubt it. They have laws in these countries which they definitely enforce. Doesnt matter where you come from...if your in their country you abide by their rules!!!

In Dubai, they have turned a blind eye to alot of things. But you always get the local Emirate going to police complaining resulting in a deportation etc. Remember, these countries dont have normal legal proceedings that the West has.

Sure only the other day I watched a woman being whipped because she had a pair of trousers on under her Birka. Wasnt there an Irish Football match played in Middle east one time a few years ago and no Irish women were allowed to go!!! If FIFA could enforce that then, i wouldnt be suprised if they come up with other things to enforce.

stephen_n

bigbadbear wrote: »

i hope it westernises Qatar. the surrounding countries to follow

Yes because the west has things so right!

bigbadbear

stephen_n wrote: »

Yes because the west has things so right!

Better than them anyway. Westerisation might help dissolve the grasp their ridiculous religion has on the people of the middle east. Maybe then we wont have to take off our shoes to get on a plane

stephen_n

bigbadbear wrote: »

Better than them anyway. Westerisation might help dissolve the grasp their ridiculous religion has on the people of the middle east. Maybe then we wont have to take off our shoes to get on a plane

Hmmm I think I remember similar sentiments coming from western countries before! Now where was that? Oh yes Germany circa 1939

Boston

bigbadbear wrote: »

Better than them anyway. Westerisation might help dissolve the grasp their ridiculous religion has on the people of the middle east. Maybe then we wont have to take off our shoes to get on a plane

Islam isn't a ridiculous religion.

Freiheit

Well I think there is barbaric elements to Islam, it mandates flogging, amputation and execution for a variety of deviations....and Islamic countries tend to control their people to a huge degree, preventing freedom of thought and expression.

I don't believe the west has it all right, nobody would say it has, but at least there is relative freedom of expression (no thanks to Dermot Ahern's ridiculous blasphemy law) and thought which allow people to make up their own minds and for society to evolve...

I stress though that I differentiate between Islam and Muslims. Most Muslims, including my neighbours are fine people, but Islamic countries, where personal freedom is censored, well they appear dark places.

Hopefully over time personal freedoms will increase, even if only by osmosis and things will change.

I see the Qatari royal family are now favourities to buy Man U.

stephen_n

Freiheit wrote: »

Well I think there is barbaric elements to Islam, it mandates flogging, amputation and execution for a variety of deviations....and Islamic countries tend to control their people to a huge degree, preventing freedom of thought and expression.

I don't believe the west has it all right, nobody would say it has, but at least there is relative freedom of expression (no thanks to Dermot Ahern's ridiculous blasphemy law) and thought which allow people to make up their own minds and for society to evolve...

I stress though that I differentiate between Islam and Muslims. Most Muslims, including my neighbours are fine people, but Islamic countries, where personal freedom is censored, well they appear dark places.

Hopefully over time personal freedoms will increase, even if only by osmosis and things will change.

I see the Qatari royal family are now favourities to buy Man U.

Well if that's the case then this is a Catholic country so Homosexuality is not acceptable. Like all organised religions Islam can be used to control people but the interpretations claimed to be from the Koran quite often aren't based on anything other than the needs of the powerful and well educated. There are a huge amount of muslims who have never read the koran so the Mulahs can tell them it says what ever they want. I'm not sure the koran suggests any of those punishments but wouldn't be qualified to say.

However dismissing the whole muslim faith as ridiculous and professing that we have it right in the west and they should copy us, suggests a huge level of American propoganda lead ignorance to me. Especially when it's coming from a country that only decriminalised homosexuality less than 20 years ago, but hey that gives us the right to take moral high ground on over a billion people!

L1011

stephen_n wrote: »

Well if that's the case then this is a Catholic country so Homosexuality is not acceptable.

Catholicism isn't the state religion here, nor is there a state religion - legally the country is meant to be secular (although we know thats BS)

Islam IS the state religion in Qatar.

stephen_n

MYOB wrote: »

Catholicism isn't the state religion here, nor is there a state religion - legally the country is meant to be secular (although we know thats BS)

Islam IS the state religion in Qatar.

Islam is the state religion because it helps to control a population that is largely poorly educated. They suffer under the yoke of imperialism, we suffer under the yoke of capitalism the difference being the method of control (consumerism) and the illusion of freedom. We are better educated which means the boundaries have to be modified to suit the population but they are no less real! Try stepping outside the acceptable and you will find similar levels of violence to put you back in your place, ask the student protestors!

Wolfe Tone

You guys must have missed the memo, gay people don't like or play football.



It will be like the Olympics Hitler had, everything will be liberalized for those few months. It is borderline idiotic to think that homosexual supporters or players will be flogged or imprisoned in Qatar. Think of the international backlash.

LegacyUser

This arguement is premature. I have no doubt FIFA's choice was money based. But In regards to the laws in Qatar, I can imagine they will be relaxed to a certain extent. There will be compounds set up around the country for people to drink, I have no doubt about that. The provocative dress law is against all people not just women, although it what constitutes a man to dress provaocatively I dont know.

Gomez is the german international that supports homosexuality in football, I dont actually think he's gay himself though, pretty sure of that.

Fight_Night

MUSSOLINI wrote: »

You guys must have missed the memo, gay people don't like or play football.



It will be like the Olympics Hitler had, everything will be liberalized for those few months. It is borderline idiotic to think that homosexual supporters or players will be flogged or imprisoned in Qatar. Think of the international backlash.

This, it's not like they're going to have Soviet KGB-esque police to hunt or weed out any gays, I'm sure that any gay fans who travel will receive no more abuse than they would at any world cup.

stephen_n

MUSSOLINI wrote: »

You guys must have missed the memo, gay people don't like or play football.



It will be like the Olympics Hitler had, everything will be liberalized for those few months. It is borderline idiotic to think that homosexual supporters or players will be flogged or imprisoned in Qatar. Think of the international backlash.

So that makes it fine to give it to a country that for the other 323 days of the year will be stoning gay people to death! Interesting analogy comparing Qatar to the third Reich!

Wolfe Tone

stephen_n wrote: »

So that makes it fine to give it to a country that for the other 323 days of the year will be stoning gay people to death! Interesting analogy comparing Qatar to the third Reich!

I think it was. It will shine a light on the plight of gays etc, and the international pressure may force change.

stephen_n

MUSSOLINI wrote: »

I think it was. It will shine a light on the plight of gays etc, and the international pressure may force change.

North Korea for 2026 so!