- The organizers of the Qatar Soccer World Cup 2022 have opened the door to LGBTQI + fans, but they will have to adhere to certain rules of behavior.
- Less than a year after the start of the sporting event, Qatar calls itself “tolerant” and asks that the cultural norms of its country be respected.
The organizers of the Qatar 2022 World Cup have once again become the center of controversy due to the restrictions announced for fans members of the LGBTQI + community.
We are less than a year away from the World Cup in Qatar, which means that we have officially entered the countdown to one of the most anticipated sporting events.
As is known, the next edition of the Soccer World Cup will be different, the last in its 32-team format and the first to be held at the end of the year (from November to December 2022).
The reason why it will take place on such dates has to do with the fact that, during the summer, temperatures in that country reach up to 50ºC, which would directly affect the performance and health of the players.
However, among all the controversies that are being generated as a result of the organization of the event, one of the ones that has attracted the most attention has to do with a purely cultural issue of the host country, which is why they have asked the fans that their traditions are respected.
A few hours ago, the organizers announced that those fans who are members of the LGBTQI + community who wish to attend the sports fair will be able to do so, but to do so, they must follow certain behavioral protocols.
“Qatar is a tolerant country that will welcome the LGBTI + community. Public displays of affection are frowned upon and this applies to everyone. Qatar and neighboring countries are more modest and conservative. This is what we ask the fans to respect, ”said the President of the Organizing Committee, Al-Khater.
It is known that homosexuality is prohibited in Qatar, but, given the arrival of tourists from all over the world and, for this reason, from different cultures, it has been open to receiving them, as long as they comply with the rules of behavior that they reign in Qatari society.
This decision comes after organizations for the rights of women and the LGBTQI + community have denounced the committee for the lack of rights of workers, women and homosexual people.
As if that were not enough, next weekend the Formula 1 Grand Prix will be held in Saudi Arabia, a country where a specific dress code has even been determined for both men and women, as well as different rules of behavior. aimed at fans members of the LGBTQI + community.
These types of actions have been severely criticized on social networks, classifying the organizers as “misogynistic” and other qualifiers, even when in these countries they are norms imposed on the whole of society.
Of course, the debate centers on the fact that we live in different times and, when an authority claims to be “tolerant” and immediately talks about norms of coexistence imposed on society, that is when discussions, polemics and discrepancies.
What is clear is that Qatar will be an event that will give a lot to talk about; It is already doing so, since since the host country was confirmed, protests against the event itself have not ceased.
Over the years, various controversies have arisen, be it over the working conditions of those who work in the construction of the stadiums, the money that FIFA will pocket and, now, with one of the most complex issues in Qatari society.
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