The FIFA Gay Comment Controversy and Qatar's Policy on Gays

2010-12-14 14:30:00

#1

Turquoise: O Canada; +1,596|6402|North Carolina

http://espn.go.com/sports/soccer/news/_ … r-comments

A leading international gay rights group demanded an official apology Tuesday from FIFA following Sepp Blatter's comment about homosexual fans traveling to Qatar for the 2022 World Cup.

The president of the world soccer governing body said Monday that gay fans "should refrain from any sexual activities" during the World Cup in Qatar, where homosexual behavior is illegal.

Juris Lavrikovs, communications director for the European branch of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association, said the comments were "very unfortunate and have left people deeply offended."

"I think they should come out with a strong statement and not just wash it away," Lavrikovs told The Associated Press. "We are talking about a very basic human right that is being violated."

Blatter spoke Monday in South Africa at the launch of a post-2010 World Cup legacy project. He was asked if he could foresee any cultural problems with the tournament being held in Qatar.

"I'd say they [gay fans] should refrain from any sexual activities," he said, smiling.

"This is not a joke, this is a matter of life and death to people," Lavrikovs said. "Qatar and more than 70 other countries in the world still criminalize individuals for homosexual relationships, and some countries even punish them by death sentence.

So, basically what Blatter said was relevant to Qatar's laws. I think he should be off of the hook since he was just being honest.

On the other hand... why have such a backwards country host the World Cup? I know Qatar is advanced by Middle Eastern standards, but that's not saying much. It was bad enough that they held the last cup in a country where the AIDS rate is absurd, but in the somewhat near future, they've agreed to let Qatar host.

Nevermind the fact that their summer temperatures are some of the hottest on the planet, Qatar (like too much of the Islamic World) is still stuck on persecuting gay people. I guess they're not as bad as Iran about it, but seriously... is this really the sort of place that should be a host country?

2010-12-14 14:40:51

#2

13urnzz: Banned; +5,830|6494

being gay in Qatar is criminal? fuck me . . .

2010-12-14 15:19:34

#3

ghettoperson: Member; +1,943|6646

I didn't know that, I'd have thought that would be the sort of thing that would mean you'd be disqualified from the World Cup process. I assume FIFA will have been aware of this prior to them voting, so it seems slightly shocking that they'd still give them the WC, knowing that thousands of gay football fans (or should that be millions? lolololololol) face arrest when attending the WC.

2010-12-14 15:22:23

#4

Little BaBy JESUS: m8; +394|6146|'straya

Seriously how much did Qatar bribe them. It seems like the most ludicrous choice.

2010-12-14 15:23:26

#5

presidentsheep: Back to the Fuhrer; +208|5958|Places 'n such

burnzz wrote:
being gay in Qatar is criminal? fuck me . . .

icwatyoudidthar.
seriously, how much money did qatar pay for this.

I'd type my pc specs out all fancy again but teh mods would remove it. Again.

2010-12-14 15:29:33

#6

unnamednewbie13: Moderator; +2,053|6769|PNW

Completely valid. Gays shouldn't have gay sex where it's illegal. What confuses me is why they're holding the world cup there when so many soccer fans are...

*post terminated*

2010-12-14 16:01:55

#7

Trotskygrad: бля; +354|5996|Vortex Ring State

unnamednewbie13 wrote:
Completely valid. Gays shouldn't have gay sex where it's illegal. What confuses me is why they're holding the world cup there when so many soccer fans are...

*post terminated*

yeah the guy was being honest and stating a fact. Hell even the wording is official-like... "refrain"

2010-12-14 16:03:27

#8

Morpheus: This shit still going?; +508|5996|The Mitten

I think that he should go on record to clarify his point.... mainly because that what I'd do, in that situation.
I mean, I couldn't change the laws in Qatar...

EE (hats

2010-12-14 16:18:46

#9

ghettoperson: Member; +1,943|6646

Morpheus wrote:
I think that he should go on record to clarify his point.... mainly because that what I'd do, in that situation.
I mean, I couldn't change the laws in Qatar...

No one expects him to change the laws in Qatar. What we do expect is them to do is award the games to countries where visitors aren't going to be locked up for their sexual preference.

2010-12-14 16:21:25

#10

krazed: Admiral of the Bathtub; +619|6777|Great Brown North

why do we keep having large games in shit hole countries?

2010-12-14 16:24:32

#11

Little BaBy JESUS: m8; +394|6146|'straya

America, Japan and Australia seemed like far better options.

2010-12-14 16:36:39

#12

Morpheus: This shit still going?; +508|5996|The Mitten

ghettoperson wrote:
Morpheus wrote:
I think that he should go on record to clarify his point.... mainly because that what I'd do, in that situation.
I mean, I couldn't change the laws in Qatar...
No one expects him to change the laws in Qatar. What we do expect is them to do is award the games to countries where visitors aren't going to be locked up for their sexual preference.

Well.... isn;t that a catch-22?
(lets use homosexuality laws as an example)
They hold it somewhere such as... Qatar, which has strict anti-homosexuality laws- (Sidenote, ATG will go to this FIFA World Cup) they get criticized for holding it in a "backwater country". Their decision is essentially 'blind' (non-discriminatory) to country laws and regulations.
If they were to.... select a country "because it fits this category or that category", it would be seen as 'discriminatory' against other countries.
Damned if they do, damned if they don't. The way I see it, let them hold where they want, let the country spend money on building a huge arena,and let the people* not go to show they need change in the country

_{*Spectators. Tourists. Fans.}

EE (hats

2010-12-14 16:42:06

#13

Poseidon: Fudgepack DeQueef; +3,253|6535|Long Island, New York

I don't see what was wrong with his comment. Homosexuality is illegal in Qater. He said gay should refrained from showing... who they are, essentially.

FIFA's fault for picking such a shithole backwards assed country like Qatar instead of AU or the US.

2010-12-14 16:42:19

#14

unnamednewbie13: Moderator; +2,053|6769|PNW

People aren't going to boycott the World Cup because it's hosted by a prick nation.

2010-12-14 16:45:05

#15

Morpheus: This shit still going?; +508|5996|The Mitten

unnamednewbie13 wrote:
People aren't going to boycott the World Cup because it's hosted by a prick nation.

Sadly.

EE (hats

2010-12-14 16:45:28

#16

ghettoperson: Member; +1,943|6646

Morpheus wrote:
ghettoperson wrote:
Morpheus wrote:
I think that he should go on record to clarify his point.... mainly because that what I'd do, in that situation.
I mean, I couldn't change the laws in Qatar...
No one expects him to change the laws in Qatar. What we do expect is them to do is award the games to countries where visitors aren't going to be locked up for their sexual preference.
Well.... isn;t that a catch-22?
(lets use homosexuality laws as an example)
They hold it somewhere such as... Qatar, which has strict anti-homosexuality laws- (Sidenote, ATG will go to this FIFA World Cup) they get criticized for holding it in a "backwater country". Their decision is essentially 'blind' (non-discriminatory) to country laws and regulations.
If they were to.... select a country "because it fits this category or that category", it would be seen as 'discriminatory' against other countries.
Damned if they do, damned if they don't. The way I see it, let them hold where they want, let the country spend money on building a huge arena,and let the people* not go to show they need change in the country

_{*Spectators. Tourists. Fans.}

I don't think anyone is going to complain because they hold the WC in a country that upholds human rights.

EDIT: I mean, I guess it is discrimination, but only in the same way that it's discrimination that Al-Qaeda members aren't allowed on airplanes.

Last edited by ghettoperson (2010-12-14 16:46:34)

2010-12-14 16:46:16

#17

wah1188: You orrible caaaaaaan't; +321|6457|UK

Gays don't like football anyway.

2010-12-14 16:48:44

#18

CC-Marley: Member; +407|6826

In some of those countries they will lock you up for kissing your girlfriend or even your wife in public. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/0 … 24736.html

2010-12-14 16:51:30

#19

Morpheus: This shit still going?; +508|5996|The Mitten

ghettoperson wrote:
Morpheus wrote:
ghettoperson wrote:
No one expects him to change the laws in Qatar. What we do expect is them to do is award the games to countries where visitors aren't going to be locked up for their sexual preference.
Well.... isn;t that a catch-22?
(lets use homosexuality laws as an example)
They hold it somewhere such as... Qatar, which has strict anti-homosexuality laws- (Sidenote, ATG will go to this FIFA World Cup) they get criticized for holding it in a "backwater country". Their decision is essentially 'blind' (non-discriminatory) to country laws and regulations.
If they were to.... select a country "because it fits this category or that category", it would be seen as 'discriminatory' against other countries.
Damned if they do, damned if they don't. The way I see it, let them hold where they want, let the country spend money on building a huge arena,and let the people* not go to show they need change in the country

_{*Spectators. Tourists. Fans.}
I don't think anyone is going to complain because they hold the WC in a country that upholds human rights.

EDIT: I mean, I guess it is discrimination, but only in the same way that it's discrimination that Al-Qaeda members aren't allowed on airplanes.

Maybe not for something as... "black and white' 'human rights"... but once you start 'hand selecting' countries... no, maybe I should say once you open up the power to hand select countries....

And newbie: Yea. I know.... it's just... Sorry, sometimes I want to feel like human beings as a race can actually be something more than a herd of fuck-faces sometimes

_{e: stupid 'c' key}

Last edited by Morpheus (2010-12-14 16:52:25)

EE (hats

2010-12-14 17:13:06

#20

13urnzz: Banned; +5,830|6494

wah1188 wrote:
Gays don't like football anyway.

i wonder how they feel about vuvazelas? can anyone fill us in?

2010-12-14 17:21:42

#21

ghettoperson: Member; +1,943|6646

Gays or Qatari's?

2010-12-14 17:58:04

#22

EVieira: Member; +105|6475|Lutenblaag, Molvania

How come people are criticizing the world cup in Qatar and no one cared that the Olympics was in China? South Africa has one of the worlds worse wealth distributions, and still hel the World Cup.

I think Qatar is wrong to discriminate people, but it seems to me that there is a double standard when the country having the games is a small, middle east country...

"All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them."
Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)

2010-12-14 18:02:01

#23

Morpheus: This shit still going?; +508|5996|The Mitten

EVieira wrote:
How come people are criticizing the world cup in Qatar and no one cared that the Olympics was in China? South Africa has one of the worlds worse wealth distributions, and still hel the World Cup..

Erm....

EE (hats

2010-12-14 18:06:18

#24

Jay: Bork! Bork! Bork!; +2,006|5355|London, England

EVieira wrote:
How come people are criticizing the world cup in Qatar and no one cared that the Olympics was in China? South Africa has one of the worlds worse wealth distributions, and still hel the World Cup.

I think Qatar is wrong to discriminate people, but it seems to me that there is a double standard when the country having the games is a small, middle east country...

Glass houses. Brazil got a World Cup didn't they? Less than a decade ago y'all had death squads roaming the streets murdering children.

"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat

2010-12-14 18:07:01

#25

EVieira: Member; +105|6475|Lutenblaag, Molvania

Morpheus wrote:
EVieira wrote:
How come people are criticizing the world cup in Qatar and no one cared that the Olympics was in China? South Africa has one of the worlds worse wealth distributions, and still hel the World Cup..
Erm....

I stand corrected...

This is absurd, such discriminatory country should never hold the world cup!

"All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them."
Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)

BF2S Forums The FIFA Gay Comment Controversy and Qatar's Policy on Gays

burnzz wrote:

unnamednewbie13 wrote:

Morpheus wrote:

ghettoperson wrote:

Morpheus wrote:

unnamednewbie13 wrote:

Morpheus wrote:

ghettoperson wrote:

Morpheus wrote:

ghettoperson wrote:

Morpheus wrote:

ghettoperson wrote:

wah1188 wrote:

EVieira wrote:

EVieira wrote:

Morpheus wrote:

EVieira wrote:

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