to think it's ridiculous for football player in Qatar to want to protest about LGBT rights?

[Sausagenbacon]

when they are playing in stadiums built by migrant workers in appalling conditions? Plus, to me it seems the height of cultural imperialism to go to other countries and expect them to adopt out moral stances.

What pisses me off is all the attention is on lgbtqi rights and noone is mentioning womens rights. Or rather the complete lack of them in Qatar

Plenty of people have mentioned their record on women's rights. It's not a competition.

Also, it goes beyond a moral stance or difference of opinion. They beat, arrest victimise and imprison LGBT people.

Of course high profile people should talk about it.

Half-hearted protests which evaporate as soon as there's the merest suggestion of any kind of consequences for those protesting.

The time for real protest would have been for everyone who is a decent human being to have signed a pledge not to go to Qatar back when the decision was made to hold the event there.

Instead the regime is getting the message loud and clear that the west is totally happy to turn a blind eye to every kind of human rights abuse if there's any kind of money or influence up for grabs for those who cooperate.

In some ways it's brilliant it's being held there and all these moral issues are being introduced to young People who let's face it..... probably have never heard of quatar or the like.

Now they are really aware of what's going on.

However I agree the real stance would have been not to play early on and yes, I fully always back LGBT rights but for goodness sake...the females?? The women?? their rights?

The migrants...yes...why the bistro focus on LGBT. It should be about basic human rights.

Honestly, human rights violations are a valid exception to the keep your beak out of other countries business.

I think it's hypocrisy to be paid a fortune to participate in a PR event for Qatar and then make a gesture protest.

If you are bothered by making your money supporting something unethical then don't do it.

Agree. Empty virtue signalling from all involved.

Being told they'd be yellow-carded was enough to make the players/FA back down at high speed. If they'd actually cared, they'd have swallowed the yellow card and played 'clean' to ensure they weren't red-carded. But no, the possibility of consequences left them aghast and backing down.

You realise that that are non-white gay people too right? And that being gay isn't about anal sex?

‘Plenty of people have mentioned their record on women's rights. It's not a competition.’

exactly. Being a woman isn’t punishable by lengthy prison sentences or death. Being gay is.

the main issue is that it shouldn’t be held in Qatar at all - it’s a joke that it is.
all those people who died building the stadiums…

exactly. Being a woman isn’t punishable by lengthy prison sentences or death. Being gay is

Being gay isn’t actually detectable except by certain behaviours.

Similar or equivalent behaviours which condemn women to harsh punishment including death.

(But I agree: the moral scandal is that it is in Qatar at all, and the time to mount a serious protest was 12 years ago)

I find it amazing that everyone has managed to separate Qatar from the rest of the Middle East. Everyone seems to follow all the morons who go on holiday to Dubai on sponsored Instagram holidays. The world loves a bit of Dubai. How on earth do you think Dubai was built??! It's the SAME.
If you holiday in Dubai you are part of the same issue.

‘Being gay isn’t actually detectable except by certain behaviours.’

if my wife and I went to Qatar ( obvs wouldn’t) we would have to watch how we interact with each other the entire time. And you might say, well don’t kiss them or hold hands or do anything ‘obvious’ but we’ve been together 20 years - how easy would you find it to not give ANY clue about your relationship with your partner or husband or wife?
to act as if you were just mates on holiday.
you know when you look a 2 people and can tell they’re probably a couple even if they’re at opposite ends of the table/room or group?
then throw in authorities who are actually looking out for that, watching,
examining.
so yes it is detectable, and that’s even before you throw in what straight people might consider ‘giveaways’ like dress or mannerisms..

‘The world loves a bit of Dubai.’

no- greedy people and chavs like Dubai. I don’t know anyone who would touch it with a barge pole.but it doesn’t have the most corrupt World Cup ( and that’s saying something ) in history

It's never wrong to protest injustice, ever.

Lots of word salads on social media and whataboutism and intellectual statements about this and that. All that matters is that it's wrong.

The treatment of migrant workers is a separate issue and also very wrong. You're welcome to join a lot of people already out there to make a noise about that or any other issue, and how it is wrong. We can all stand up and use our voices.

Two (or in the case of Qatar, many) wrongs don't make a right.
No, it's not ridiculous the footballers wanted to protest about gay rights.
It's ridiculous they caved in. I'd have thought there should have been at least a few pairs of teams where everyone would have agreed to wear the armband so they'd all have got a yellow card and it would have been fair.

What I don't understand is, if football is so cool with LGBT rights, if footballers truly believe in 'one love' then why is there only one premier league footballer who is openly gay? Are we really so enlightened and civilised in this country when young men have to hide their sexuality in 2022?

This.There are way more women being harmed in Qatar than LGB people. Half the population to be exact.

Being raped is punishable, being pregnant and unmarried is punishable, being divorced as a woman is punishable, lashes of a whip being a preferred punishment. Working, having custody of children, travelling or studying are punishable unless authorised by a father or husband. Wasn't it Qatar that took all the Australian women off a flight in Doha as a foetus has been found in an airport toilet and they carried out intimate examinations in order to find out which woman had delivered, as miscarriages are also punishable. Unhappy days.

@Henuinequest no- greedy people and chavs like Dubai.

How delightfully classist of you. I don't know anyone in my council estate that could afford or want to go to Dubai.

It’s a World Cup, can’t just have it in western countries. This is the first time in an Arab country. I think there is a lot of racism going on and deep exaggeration. All those footballers are happy to get their massive salaries paid with Arab money. Respect the countries laws and enjoy the football, how hard is that.

I think they're all hypocrites unless they come back to their own leagues and make the environment safe enough for gay footballers to come out. Then I'll be impressed.

They should have refused to participate if they really wanted to make a stand

@Skelligsfeathers no one is talking about women's rights?

I'm not watching this corrupt travesty, but even I couldn't miss the fact that Iranian players refused to sing their national anthem in support of the many being killed by their countries regime because they are demonstrating for women's rights. A small act of defiance to be sure, but still more than all European teams managed. Iranian footballers risked their lives for that action, Harry Kane couldn't even risk a yellow card.

as others have said, it's not an either or situation. I don't have to choose whether to support the human rights of migrant workers (or slaves, to name them appropriately) lgbt+ people or women. I'm capable of supporting all three. Mainly because they are all basic human rights issues.. If you hate what happened to those migrant workers, surely you must hate the abuse that happens in that country to women and lgbt+ people also?