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BUENOS AIRES, Argentina. Qatar, the host of the World Cup that begins on Sunday, is one of 68 countries where homosexuality is illegal . With laws criminalizing same-sex sexual activity, arbitrary arrests, and no regulations protecting this population, the country is hostile to the LGBT+ community. It promised to provide a safe environment for the community, but the expected progress has not yet materialized.

“Everyone will be welcome in Qatar in 2022, regardless of their race, background, religion, gender, orientation or nationality,” said Fatma Ali Al Nuaimi, Executive Director of Communications for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Following discussions with FIFA and other organizations, Qatar's Supreme Committee Cup , as well as training for these forces to ensure sensitivity towards the LGBTQ community. However, the protocol was never presented, nor was any information provided about how the training was conducted.

A hostile place

“The decision of where the World Cup is held is related to economic interests. It’s the only way you can understand how a place like Qatar was chosen, given its laws, customs, and traditions for hosting a friendly match—because it should be a friendly match—between different countries,” Mexican Luz Aranda, co-secretary of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) and bisexual activist, told Presentes

For her, it is “very sad” that the World Cup is being held in Qatar. She is concerned about the safety of LGBT people, including players, journalists, the public, and the local community. “While Qatar has committed to respecting FIFA guidelines and ensuring a safe environment, once that scrutiny is lifted because the World Cup is over, I am worried about the LGBTI people who will remain there,” she said.

Selections with rainbow bracelets

The captains of the England, Wales, Germany, Netherlands, France, Denmark, Switzerland, and Belgium national football teams had announced their support for the LGBT+ community at the World Cup. As part of the "OneLove" initiative, spearheaded by England captain Harry Kane, these players announced they would wear rainbow armbands in protest against discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation in the country.

However, on November 21, they announced in a statement that they were abandoning this measure because FIFA anticipated that players wearing the armband would be sanctioned with a yellow card. “As national federations, we cannot put our players in a position where they could face sporting sanctions, including cards,” they stated.

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The country has a hostile legal system targeting the LGBTQ+ community, with prison sentences, persecution, and restrictions on freedom of expression, among other actions. ILGA World issued a report on this matter, and we highlight some key points.

Prohibitions

Sexual activity between LGBT+ people is prohibited under various articles of the Penal Code. Specifically, Article 285 penalizes acts of "sodomy" and "sexual relations" between people of the same sex with up to seven years in prison. Furthermore, Article 298 considers "sodomy as a profession or to earn a living" a crime, punishable by up to ten years in prison.

Meanwhile, under Sharia law—Islamic law—"it is technically possible for Muslim men to face the death penalty for same-sex sexual activity," ILGA World stated. However, the organization has not yet received any reports of anyone being executed because of their gender or sexual orientation in recent decades.

Null protection

Furthermore, LGBT+ people are not protected under Qatari law. While citizens can change their name on official documents, they cannot change their gender.

Furthermore, based on the law, the government can prevent people from this group from entering the country and can even deport them.

Meanwhile, hate crimes and workplace discrimination based on gender or sexual orientation have no place in the country's regulations.

Persecution

Human Rights Watch ( HRW) documented several arbitrary arrests of LGBT+ people based on their gender expression by Qatar's Department of Preventive Security forces.

During these incidents, documented between 2019 and November 2022, detainees reported being abused. HRW documented six cases of severe and repeated beatings and five cases of sexual harassment while in police custody. Furthermore, law enforcement ordered transgender women to attend “ conversion therapy ” as a condition of their release.

Of the people HRW was able to contact, none had charges, they did not have access to legal advice, and there were no records of their arrests.

Freedom of expression

Qatar has a Consumer Protection Act (2008) that stipulates consumers have the right to have their “religious values, customs, and traditions” respected. Under this law, children's toys with rainbow colors were confiscated in 2021. The Ministry of the Interior announced that any displays of the LGBT+ flag will be removed during the World Cup.

The country also engaged in censorship of LGBT+ content. For example, Disney's Doctor Strange West Side Story , as were articles in the New York Times concerning the rights of the LGBT+ community.

Article 296 of the Penal Code punishes with three years in prison the acts of “inducing, instigating, or seducing a man in any way for sodomy or immorality.” The same penalty may be imposed on those who induce or seduce “a man or a woman in any way to commit illegal or immoral acts.”

“We could say a lot about how national laws should not supersede universal human rights, and how no custom or practice should violate human dignity. Yet, we still live in a world where this is not the case in some countries. LGBTI communities continue to fight for a world where we have the same rights and can live in a safe environment, free from discrimination and violence,” Aranda concluded.