“I think with a little bit of flex and compromise at both ends, it can be a safe, secure and exciting World Cup,” he added.
Critics stated Cleverly, a member of the center-right Conservatives and a supporter of same-sex marriage rights, was basically asking LGBT fans to conceal their identities in a rustic the place homosexuality is a criminal offense. Consensual intercourse between males is prohibited beneath Qatari regulation, which doesn’t explicitly ban intercourse between girls, in accordance to the U.S. State Department. Sex between males carries a penalty of up to seven years in jail.
Gary Lineker, a British former nationwide soccer participant, tweeted: “Whatever you do, don’t do anything Gay. Is that the message?”
“Don’t be gay at World Cup,” learn Thursday’s cover of Metro, a British tabloid.
Lucy Powell, who speaks for the opposition Labour Party on sports activities and tradition, called Cleverly’s feedback “shockingly tone deaf.” She urged the federal government to problem FIFA “on how they’ve put fans in this position,” as an alternative of “defending discriminatory values.”
Downing Street rebuked Cleverly’s feedback, saying in a press release that folks shouldn’t have to “compromise who they are,” in accordance to the Associated Press.
Amid the criticism, Cleverly reiterated his stance, telling British broadcaster Sky News that “we have incredibly important partners in the Middle East,” and that “it’s important, when you’re a visitor to a country, that you respect the culture of your host nation.”
When requested whether or not he deliberate to attend the World Cup, which runs from Nov. 20 to Dec. 18, Cleverly stated he would as a result of “it is an important international event” the place different interlocutors could be. He additionally had to be there to defend British vacationers, he stated.
Human Rights Watch stated in a report Monday that arbitrary arrests and abuse of LGBT folks have continued in Qatar as just lately as final month.
The Gulf nation’s remedy of underprivileged teams akin to migrant employees has been closely scrutinized because it was awarded the rights to host the event. Qatari leaders have bristled at a number of the criticism that has been leveled in opposition to their nation, claiming that the assaults had been by “people who cannot accept the idea that an Arab Muslim country would host a tournament like the World Cup.”
Andrew Jeong contributed to this report.