US journalist detained for sporting rainbow stopped at FIFA World Cup stadium 

An American journalist covering the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar was denied entry for wearing a “rainbow shirt” supporting the LGBTQ+ community.

Journalist denied entry to World Cup stadium

Grant Wahl, an American journalist running his website covering football tweeted he was denied entry to the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan for the match between Wales and the US. Wahl was formerly working for Sports Illustrated. The Journalist’s shirt had a soccer ball surrounded by a rainbow. He was told, “You have to change your shirt. It’s not allowed”. “I’m OK, but that was an unnecessary ordeal,” he wrote on Twitter.

Additionally, Wahl stated that he was allowed to enter the stadium after a security commander apologized. He also got an apology from a FIFA representative. Same-sex activity is criminalized in Qatar’s law. Displaying acts of homosexuality can lead to up to seven years in jail. 

More on Qatar’s laws

Under the sharia law in Islam, the maximum punishment for homosexuality is the death penalty. Ever since the selection of Qatar as a host nation, discussions regarding its human rights record have been rising. As per Human Rights Watch, six cases of extreme and repeated beating San drive sexual harassment cases against people of the LGBTQ+ community in police custody have occurred between 2019 and 2022. 

“While Qatar prepares to host the World Cup, security forces are detaining and abusing LGBT people simply for who they are, apparently confident that the security force abuses will go unreported and unchecked,” stated Human Rights Watch. “Qatari authorities need to end impunity for violence against LGBT people. The world is watching,” it added. 

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