Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the governing body in charge of the World Cup, got in on the Pride Month corporate branding with this tweet explaining how the upcoming World Cup tournament in Qatar “will be a celebration of unity and diversity”:
Pride Month during June is a celebration for the LGBTQIA+ community. Today has also been one of celebration at the Home of FIFA.
Find out more, as well as how FIFA is working to ensure the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, will be a celebration of unity and diversity.#Pride2022
— FIFA.com (@FIFAcom) June 1, 2022
This Qatar:
Homosexuality is a crime in Qatar https://t.co/lOUWQOs2u9
— Lachlan Markay (@lachlan) June 2, 2022
Will it really, FIFA?
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Unlikely that Qatar 2022 is going to be a celebration of unity and diversity given homesexuality is illegal there. https://t.co/RLLZksGKN2
— Sam Freedman (@Samfr) June 2, 2022
Here are some of the ways FIFA says it’s working with Qatar to ensure this celebration of “unity and diversity”:
In order to ensure that all necessary legal protections are in place and will be enforced, FIFA has been:
• Training all staff involved in the competition, including public and private security forces, on how to accomplish their tasks in a non-discriminatory manner
• Insisting hotels and other contractors involved in welcoming LGBTQIA+ fans to Qatar to do so in a manner that respects the rights and privacy of everyone
• Implementing systems to identify and address instances of homo-, bi- and transphobia and other discriminatory practices inside and outside the stadiums, and
• Operating a grievance mechanism through which concerns can be reported to FIFA and addressed by the competent teams.
It’s not going well, however:
Three hotels in #Qatar will refuse to accommodate same-sex couples when people travel to the Gulf country for the World Cup this year despite #FIFA's assurances they will be allowed to book rooms, a Scandinavian media survey has discovered. https://t.co/lqXoDXP5Xn
— The Jerusalem Post (@Jerusalem_Post) May 12, 2022
Oh, well. Did the arrested person file a grievance using FIFA’s “grievance mechanism”?
Official #FIFA approved #WorldCup hotels in #Qatar are REFUSING to admit LGBT+ guests or telling same-sex couples to modify their behaviour & not 'dress gay'. One admitted gay guests had been arrested by the police https://t.co/S3IH2twrkW @Brian_Whit @RiyadhKhalaf @monaeltahawy
— Peter Tatchell (@PeterTatchell) May 18, 2022
FIFA, you get a cookie for trying though:
The doublethink across football right now really is quite something. Near desperation of governing bodies to portray themselves as progressive and all-inclusive while simultaneously cosying up to the most regressive regimes on earth which are overtly unwelcoming to minorities. https://t.co/G4nCkZTaTW
— Colin Millar (@Millar_Colin) June 1, 2022
They. Didn’t. Care. When. They. Were. Accepting. Bids:
You are literally hosting your biggest event in a country that brands homosexuality illegal. Have a word will you? https://t.co/nHyjULEirx
— Rahul Puri (@rahulpuri) June 2, 2022
Bribes. We mean bribes:
Just pocket the bribes @FIFAcom and stop trying to pretend there's any principle at stake here.
— Lachlan Markay (@lachlan) June 2, 2022
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