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.

Just because one issue is a problem doesn’t mean you can’t take a stand against another does it? If everyone took that view no one would protest anything.
Also disagreeing with killing people for their sexuality isn’t cultural imperialism but a basic human right.

jesus Christ.

They shouldn't have agreed to have played in the first place if they were serious about making a stand . Different the Iran team who may be shot for not taking part. And I agree with the Pp who said that no one seems to care much about the dead workers or the women's rights in the country.

YABU. The fault is with FIFA awarding the world cup to countries with poor to none human rights. Russia and now Quatar. If Gianni Infantino is really "gay", "disabled" or a "migrant worker" I'd expect him to be arrested and have his passport confiscated. An offensive clown. Quatar has a culture that should be respected. Football has a culture of its own, which is incompatible. This is a disaster of FIFA's choosing that everyone else puts up with.

I think you’re being harsh on the players. The fault is with FIFA for awarding it to Qatar. The players will have been dreaming of playing in the World Cup all their lives- for some, this will be their only chance. Should we really be disappointed in them not giving up their life’s dream through no fault of their own? Do you really think it would change anything?

The mistake here is with FIFA, what were they thinking. But as a football supporter if you don't like it don't go. The woman complaining she couldn't wear her rainbow hat, come home and wear your rainbow hat. If the Quataries came here and stated anti gay demonstrations we'd all have something to say about it, yet we think we have the right to go there and impose our values on them.

I thought the Germany team photo was a good one, they all posed with their hand over their mouths, as in they are not allowed a voice.

YANBU, though I agree that it's ridiculous purely from the standpoint that they're not at all protesting for women's rights. Footballers taking the moral highground on LGBT but nothing else, not even mistreatment of migrants. It seems LGBT matters much much more 🤷‍♀️

I said to DH that I thought it was crazy the threat of a yellow card made the teams put their protesting away. (Although still think a better protest would have been for them to not go but hey ho)

he said that because of the yellow card rules he suspects there will be more protesting the further the teams go into the contest. St this stage if too many cards were given to the England players (for example) I think the players would be banned from playing. So imagine the media circus. “We could have brought it home if it wasn’t for x protesting….”

either way. I think fifa are doscraceful.

Yup.

Football world is so homophobic noone dares come out. Yet here they are being all Rainbow.

It was rather pathetic. Personally I don’t agree with politics in football in the first place ( others might disagree) but if you are going to make football political which they have then you need to follow through on your political statement or else you look like an idiot. The same applies to Gary linekar et al. A yellow card for your principals is pretty tame imo. Harry Kane either supports lgbt rights or he doesn’t really but is going along with it as long as no personal cost to himself.

Agree with this. As to protest at the time a lot of the players will have been under 18 or just over 12 years ago when it was awarded.

of course the consequences are not brutal or violent but here is what happens- it will likely affect the Captain, team and therefore fans of the team.

If the players did continue the protest and were given yellow cards they would not be able to play the final group game. As Captain is usually one of the best players affect the team badly. The final tie break at the group stage is numbers of yellow and red cards. If they get through to the final stage it starts again - miss the World Cup final itself.

Urghh what a vile homophobic load of bile.
You realise gay men in much of the world are at risk of imprisonment or worse. It's about love not just sex.
It is possible to fight for more than one group of people's basic rights at the same time. The focus should be on treating all people well.

I think the Iranian team were brave by not singing in protest at their government. With that regime it took real guts and made the rest look feeble.
Reminds me of the black power salutes 1968 that rocked the world. They paid a big price. Footballers have missed chance to do the right thing and look pathetic Roy Keane right on this
All too late anyway UEFA should have stood up to FIFA a when it was corruptly awarded many years ago. They should have threatened a boycott and fifa would have backed down or imploded. World Cup not feasible without Europe and they should have used their clout for good.

Indeed. Virtue signalling at its finest.

I agree entirely this is racism pure and simple.
As it stands the tournament has actually been quite good so far.

Fairly hard for people who don’t hate women, who aren’t homophobic and for those who believe migrant workers are human beings.

No one’s wearing suffragette armbands are they

@sofasofa42

I wouldn't holiday in Dubai either. I do admit to flying with Middle Eastern airlines for financial reasons (half the price of the national carrier, only alternative which I know is hypocritical

I think it is interesting how there are some sporadic attempts to raise LGBQ issues, but NOTHING about women’s rights. Nothing

women are not free in Qatar, they are under male guardianship.

bit FIFA and all the presenters just saying we should respect their culture and rules

it just shows to the world that “Western Values” can be negotiated away for enough money. We are capitalist first, and care about equality or women’s or LGBTQ rights only if it does not cost us.

Gary Lineker, David Be kham, FIFA, Brutush media essentially saying : women are equal to men but we don’t really care if they are not free in other cultures, then we must respect the men of that culture and their rights and traditions to treat women badly, and exploit migrant workers

money talks

all those pundits out there supporting and defending Qatar are just out there for themselves and the money and fuck women’s rights, migrants rights and LGBTQ rights. As long as the men are alright, right?

I would challenge that assumption. Being a woman is subject to lengthy prison sentences. If you’ve been raped and you know the rapist ( as in most rape cases) then it’s basically considered sex out of marriage. You’ll get 7 years in jail. And extra lashes if you’re Muslim.

No-one is arrested for ‘being gay’ in the same way as no woman is arrested for ‘being a woman’. If a gay guy doesn’t engage in any sexual activity, he’s just a bloke and will be left alone.

and I don’t think that women being treated as ‘less than’ men is somehow not that bad!!

I am fully supportive of the LGBTQ protests, but it’s more than fair to point out the comparative silence on women’s rights. look through the articles on BBC website and Guardian. There’s rarely more than a line on women’s rights. ( I’ve checked!). That’s an issue that affects half of the world’s population ffs!!

This.
By all means, raise the issue with LGB issues but what about women's rights?
They aren't even getting anywhere near the coverage.

So Germany made a gesture which they knew would cost them nothing. They could have insisted on wearing the armbands but when told they would risk a yellow card, they immediately backed down.

It's all very performative, and has more to do with making the football associations feel good rather than with gay rights in Qatar.

I agree. If several high profile teams were to get disqualified for their protesting, wearing the armband, whatever - now that would make a point.

I don't know of one out and proud homosexual Premier league or national team footballer, yet there surely has to be at least one gay man amongst the ranks?? Why's that then?

Hypocrits

@BrightOrangeRectangles

Mostly due to the homophobia at the youth level, they drop out long before they reach elite football. Women's football is more equal!