On Tuesday, four non-governmental organizations held a protest in front of FIFA’s headquarters in Zurich, asking to protect the rights of the LGBTQI+ community in Qatar, the host country of the FIFA World Cup this year.
All Out, Pink Cross, the Swiss Lesbian Organization and the Swiss Transgender Network staged a kind of football match with characters representing various organizations associated with the World Cup in Zurich to raise awareness of community rights in Qatar, where homosexuality is a crime.
“With this action, we are asking national teams, players and sponsors to show their support and commitment to our rights in Qatar,” said Justin Lessner, spokesman for All Out.
According to Pink Cross leader Gae Colussi, “FIFA must take responsibility and actually act in defense of these rights, in defense of LGBTQI + in Qatar, and not just fans.”
Khalid Salman, the FIFA World Cup ambassador, classified homosexuality as a “mental disorder” and stated that any fan traveling to the country would have to “accept” Qatar’s rules at the time FIFA made the request, namely in an open letter , this attention should be directed to football, calling on federations and players to refrain from political and civic statements.
Although the Qatari authorities deny this, several organizations and estimates point to thousands of deaths in the country between 2010 and 2019 in connection with the hosting of the World Cup. 6,500 deaths, a number considered conservative by many.
Over the past few years, numerous organizations and institutions have also called for the protection of the rights of supporters and others belonging to the gay and transgender community, given the persecution they face on Qatari soil.
In May, six months before the start of the competition, Amnesty International, along with associations such as Human Rights Watch, signed an open letter to FIFA President Gianni Infantino asking him to invest the same amount as prizes awarded to national teams. work in the compensation mechanism.
The Men’s World Cup will take place from November 20 to December 18, with Portugal qualifying for Group H along with Uruguay, Ghana and South Korea.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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