British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly ignited a big uproar on Wednesday when he advised LGBTQ+ football fans to ‘compromise’ and be ‘respectful of the host nation’ while visiting Qatar for the FIFA World Cup 2022. The office of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak refuted the remark.
‘I have spoken to the Qatari authorities in the past about gay football fans going to watch the World Cup and 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 told LBC Radio a day after he was included in the new UK cabinet.
‘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,’ he added.
Many LGBTQ+ supporters and activists have voiced their worries about potential issues they might run into in Qatar. Despite the fact that homosexuality is illegal in the nation, FIFA authorities have repeatedly pledged to make sure that the competition is enjoyable for all spectators.
In a statement, Sunak’s office urged people not to ‘sacrifice who they are.’
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