“I would like to say something by taking advantage of this platform,” declared the Briton. “I am sitting here, in Qatar, in a privileged position, in front of the whole world, as a gay person”he proclaimed.
The Scottish leader said he could guarantee first-hand Doha’s guarantees to all visitors, whatever their sexual orientation, they will be “welcome”.
“We have received assurances that everyone will be welcome and I believe that everyone will be welcome at this World Cup,” he continued on the eve of the tournament’s start on Sunday, with the opening match between Qatar and Ecuador.
The Qatari organizers of the World Cup have ensured for several years that members of the LGBTQ+ community will be welcomed without discrimination, despite laws that criminalize homosexuality and sexual relations outside of marriage.
A guarantee reinforced on Saturday by Gianni Infantino: “If someone says otherwise, it is not the opinion of the country and it is not the opinion of FIFA,” declared the Italian-Swiss leader.
The latter had started his speech on Saturday with a long speech in which he said he felt “Qatari, Arab”, “African”, “gay”, “disabled”, “migrant worker”…
“Not because Gianni is not gay does not mean that he does not care about this issue,” defended Bryan Swanson, a former star reporter for Sky Sports who has become FIFA’s director of media relations since August 2021.
“I’ve thought a long time about being a part of this or not,” he said. “At FIFA, we care about everyone. We are an inclusive organization. I have a number of gay colleagues. I am fully aware of the debate and fully respect the right of others to think differently. I understand that. But I also know from what we fight.”
Source: Ambito
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
