Manchester Pride has united with Birmingham Pride, Brighton Pride and Pride in London to take a stand against the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, citing its laws in relation to LGBTQ+ lives and women.
Between them the Pride events attract circa 2 million people each year, the Pride movement is a force for good with the power to drive change. The collective of Pride organisations have called on their supporters to boycott the World Cup, and for bars and venues to not show the matches.
Mark Fletcher, CEO of Manchester Pride, said: “By choosing to host the World Cup in Qatar, FIFA has demonstrated a complete lack of concern for LGBTQ+ people. It appears to send a message to the world that they don’t think LGBTQ+ people are, or should be involved in sport, and that protecting LGBTQ+ people is not something they need to be involved with.
“Qatar officials have said that international fans of all religions, races, sexualities and genders will be welcome to the country for the tournament, but it seems as though local football fans will be held under the same aggressive laws they always are, and there are no plans to change that soon.”
Male homosexuality is illegal in Qatar, with a punishment of up to three years in prison and a fine, and possibly the death penalty for Muslims under Sharia law. Female homosexuality is not recognised in law.
Manchester Pride, in conjunction with its fellow Pride organisations, has published five ways in which supporters of the LGBTQ+ community can take a stand against the World Cup in Qatar:
1. Boycotting the World Cup to send a message to FIFA, broadcasters and sponsors that the lives of marginalised people are paramount
2. Asking bars and venues not to screen World Cup matches and to put people’s lives ahead of short-term profits
3. Spreading the word by sharing this article on Manchester Pride’s website and letting friends and colleagues know why they should stand together as allies of the LGBTQ+ community
4. Joining Stonewall’s Proud Stadium to stand with LGBTQ+ people in Qatar
5. Writing to FIFA and the tournament’s sponsors to highlight the injustices that people in Qatar and other nations face
Mark continued: “We want to inform and empower our community and allies to be able to boycott the FIFA World Cup in a productive way, where we can help support the global LGBTQ+ community and shine a light on injustices and discrimination faced day to day.
“We, along with our friends at Birmingham Pride, Brighton Pride and Pride in London have put this guidance online so that people who feel strongly about FIFAs decision to host the World Cup in Qatar feel they can really do something about it and use their voices to say that as part of a global community, we will not stand for it.”
