Another football player voiced out his sentiments after Qatar World Cup ambassador Khalid Salman’s comments on homosexuality.
Zander Murray, who is the first openly gay Scottish footballer, spoke up regarding the issue in a recent interview with Daily Mail stating,
“Since I went public, the reaction has been so positive from the across the UK. That’s why, when I heard those comments, I felt deeply hurt by them.”
The athlete continued by admitting that he felt personally attacked by the current laws in Qatar, where this year’s World Cup will be held.
“I can’t change who I am and the laws in Qatar are directly attacking people like me,” he expressed.
Murray added,
“Regrettably, there are not many people calling it out, but it deserves a backlash.”
On November 8, Salman made a statement that the LGBTQ+ football fans would “have to accept our rules out here [Qatar].” He further commented,
“[Homosexuality] is haram. You know what haram [forbidden] means?
I am not a strict Muslim but why is it haram? Because it is damage in the mind.”
Qatar’s dreadful LGBTQ+ laws state that queer people can be sentenced with up to seven years in prison if convicted. It is also technically possible for men discovered to have engaged in same-sex relationships to face a death sentence under the Sharia law.
Furthermore, Murray voiced out his hopes of a change in the LGBTQ+ laws in Qatar expressing,
“What a World Cup brings to any destination is a spotlight. There is huge scrutiny and intense publicity.
But I hope there will be a ripple effect from this event, which will force the lawmakers in Qatar to assess their policies.”
Source: pinknews.co.uk
Thank you for your statements regarding being gay in Qatar. I live there and am deeply in the closet. I’m gay to a very select group of guy friends who are also gay.