PHOTO: TT Nyhetsbyrån/Twitter
During the run-up to the soccer World Cup in Qatar, several people have testified about how they had to take off their rainbow-colored clothes.
Ahead of yesterday’s meeting between the USA and Wales, several people – both supporters and a journalist – were refused entry to the arena.
“I was taken care of for almost half an hour,” writes journalist Grant Wahl.
It has hardly gone unnoticed that the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar is extremely controversial and reviled. The reasons for this are many, but before yesterday’s meeting between the USA and Wales, something happened that caused reactions.
Denied entry
In the host country Qatar, homosexuality is prohibited, and can be punished with imprisonment. To show their support for same-sex marriage, several Welsh fans as well as an American journalist therefore chose to wear rainbow colored clothing.
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For this, they were denied entry into the arena while security personnel asked the people to remove their clothes. One of the people stopped was the former Wales international Laura McAllisterwho wore a rainbow colored fishing hat.
– They told me that I had to take off my hat because it was a forbidden symbol. I left and then managed to smuggle it in. I think it is important that we stand for our values, she says to the British ITV.
“Taken care of for half an hour”
The American Journalist Grant Wahl he was also there to watch the match, wearing a rainbow colored shirt. Something that was not appreciated by the staff on site.
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Grant Wahl describes how before the game he was refused entry to the arena on the grounds that the shirt he was wearing was prohibited. After the end of the match, he elaborates further:
“I’m fine, but that was an unnecessary ordeal. I’m in the media center, I’m still wearing my shirt. Was taken care of for almost half an hour. Go gays,” writes Wahl.