LGBT football fans who may want to attend the 2022 World cup, due to take place in Qatar may face humiliating tests in order to enter the country, in which being gay is illegal.
Despite a number of worrying questions over human rights, Qatar has been awarded the hosting obligations for the World cup in 2022, by FIFA.
Currently, gay men face between one and three years in prison if caught. In November 2014, the Qatari sports minister said that the country would find “Creative” solutions to gay people. He told AP, “It’s exactly like the alcohol question.”
“[Qatar doesn’t want to create] this impression, illusion that we don’t care about our tradition and our ethical values.
“We are studying all these issues. We can adapt, we can be creative to have people coming and enjoying the games without losing the essence of our culture and respecting the preference of the people coming here.
“I think there is a lot we can do.”
It has been suggested that members of the Gulf Cooperation Countries, which include; Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are developing a test that will be able to detect the sexuality of visitors to its countries.
The test was first reported on in 2013 after Kuwait’s director of public health Yousouf Mindkar said, “gays will be barred.”
Speaking to Kuwait Newspaper Al Rai, he said, “Health centres conduct the routine medical check to assess the health of the expatriates when they come into the GCC countries. However, we will take stricter measures that will help us detect gays who will be then barred from entering Kuwait or any of the GCC member states.”
Gay rights groups have criticised FIFA for choosing Qatar to host the event.
An advertising ‘modesty’ campaign has already begun teaching visitors to the nation about acceptable behaviour including what and whatnot to wear, with the slogan, “If You Are In Qatar You Are One of Us…”
Today the FIFA taskforce has recommended that the World cup event should take place in November and December due to concerns regarding the health of player and spectators, who are unaccustomed to temperatures that can exceed 40C in the summer months.
The news team for THEGAYUK. Got tips? Go to www.thegayuk.com/newsdesk to tell us something.