CUP OF FEAR

LGBTQ+ community now ‘feeling excluded from the biggest tournament in the world’ as clown Cleverly faces backlash over Qatar comments

FOREIGN SECRETARY James Cleverly is in danger of turning back the clock on gains made by football’s LGBTQ+ community after insisting fans show “a bit of flex and compromise” if they plan to follow England in Qatar next month.

That is the view of the Three Lions Pride group, which has been following the national team since 2017.

And the majority of the group will not be attending the World Cup over safety fears in a nation where homosexuality is still a crime.

Cleverly (above), speaking during an LBC radio interview, also said that people should be “respectful of the host nation”.

But the LGBTQ+ supporters’ group were shocked and concerned at Cleverly’s ill-judged and clumsy comments.

They fly in the face of the work done by Harry Kane’s England side to ensure that this World Cup goes some way to addressing Qatar’s appalling human rights record.

“We’ve sought answers, assurances, and details numerous times over recent years and this PR line of a ‘World Cup for all’ is not backed by action,” said the group.

“For a UK government minister to step in and endorse it as a legitimate aim undermines our work and our conversations.

“That’s before we even get on to the situation for LGBTQ+ Qataris, who, under Penal Code 2004, can be arrested and, under sharia law, can face the death penalty.

“It disregards the voices and experiences of LGBT+ Qataris, speaks over LGBTQ+ fans and plays into the fractioning of us as either ‘tolerable queers’ or ones who are too much.”

Joe White, one of the leading figures within a group which has attended every major tournament since its inception in 2017, has previously said that many LGBTQ+ had long since decided against travelling to Qatar.

“I had tickets in the ballot, as did a great many others,” White explained. “But when it came down to it, why would you spend that money to visit a country where you don’t feel safe? The biggest difficulty was that there was no engagement with fans or fan groups until last December – that’s more than 10 years since Qatar was awarded the tournament.

“No one can say there hasn’t been time to have these concerns addressed. It’s all been done too late.

“And it’s pretty clear that most of it has had more to do with PR than ensuring the safety of people travelling to the tournament.

“We have a complete lack of faith in FIFA and Qatar’s World Cup committee, despite everything they have come out with over the past few months.

“People are feeling excluded from the biggest tournament in world football.”

The backlash against Tory minister Cleverly’s ill-considered comments comes after a growing number of countries have spoken out.

Australia’s national team last week released a collective statement, criticising Qatar’s lamentable record on LGBTQ+ rights. They were the first team at the World Cup to do so.

Kane has been similarly outspoken and is one of eight World Cup captains planning to wear a rainbow armband.

England boss Gareth Southgate has added his voice, admitting it was “horrible” and “a great shame”, that some sections of England’s fan base did not feel safe going

to Qatar.