UK foreign secretary asks LGBTQ+ fans to 'compromise' at World Cup in Qatar

British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly sparked a major controversy on Wednesday as he advised LGBTQ+ football fans to show “compromise” and be “respectful of the host nation” while visiting Qatar for the FIFA World Cup 2022. The comment was rejected by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s office.

“I have spoken to the Qatari authorities in the past about gay football fans going to watch the World Cup and how they will treat our fans and international fans. They want to make sure that football fans are safe, secure and enjoy themselves, and they know that that means they are going to have to make some compromises in terms of what is an Islamic country with a very different set of cultural norms to our own,” Cleverly told LBC Radio a day after he was included in the new UK cabinet.

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“One of the things I would say for football fans is, you know, please do be respectful of the host nation. They are trying to ensure that people can be themselves and enjoy the football, and 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.

Several LGBTQ+ fans and activists have expressed their concerns regarding the possible problems that they can face while visiting Qatar. While homosexuality is criminalised in the country, FIFA officials have promised repeatedly that they will ensure that all fans have a good experience at the tournament.

Sunak’s office released a statement which said that peopleshould not“compromise who they are.”