The England LGBT+ fan group has praised Harry Kane
FIFA have also been condemned for not doing enough to ensure fans felt safe enough to go and protecting minorities from potential harm.
Kane said all fans should feel comfortable at the World Cup regardless of sexuality
The England LGBT fan group has praised Harry Kane for his comments about the World Cup being held in Qatar and the issue this causes for gay supporters. FIFA have also been condemned for not doing enough to ensure fans felt safe enough to go and protecting minorities from potential harm. Earlier this week, Kane said all fans should feel comfortable at the World Cup regardless of sexuality, with his words praised by supporters. Kane said: “As a nation, we want our fans to enjoy the tournament as much as we hopefully enjoy the tournament, and we want them to feel safe and free to watch the games how they please and act how they want to act.
Having players use their platform to raise human rights issues is hugely important
A Three Lions Pride spokesman told reporters: “Having players using their platform to raise human rights issues is hugely important – the work that groups like ours do is often unnoticed, and players with their reach and platforms amplifying the concerns and work others do in human rights is beneficial. This England squad, as we saw during the Euros, is not just one that’s great on the pitch but is engaged and empathetic off it too. I don’t think the human rights issues in Qatar will be brushed under the carpet. Still, it’s not just the responsibility of the squad but the broader FA, media and fans to keep raising these issues and shining a light on the human rights abuses that exist.
‘World Cup for everyone’
“FIFA and the Qatari SC should have been better at engaging and coming forth with concrete proposals around fan safety, particularly for trans and gender diverse fans to ensure their safety. Instead, we’ve seen sound bites of a ‘World Cup for everyone’ with little to no detail on how fans will be protected and remain safe. FIFA have a human rights aspect to their bidding process now but how it works and is applied in practice remains to be clearly seen. Governing bodies can, and should, be doing more to ensure that the greatest tournaments in football are not being used to sportswash over human rights abuses.”
“Whether that’s on LGBT legislation or whether it’s on the persecution of minorities such as the Uyghurs – football should be taking a stand for human rights, not allowing prestigious tournaments to be hosted in countries who neglect the core values of solidarity, inclusivity and integrity. Nobody should be alienated or excluded from engaging in the sport we love because of who they are.”