Councillor Rishi Madlani explains how football fans – whether they decide to watch the matches or not – are ready to send messages of support to those who do not enjoy the freedom to be LGBT+

SO let’s get one thing clear: the World Cup should never have been awarded to Qatar. Hosting a World Cup is an honour and privilege and it was another absolute disgrace of a decision from the scandal-hit footballing authorities.

FIFA has proven time and time again to not be fit to govern our beautiful game and nothing exemplifies this more than the decision to give Qatar the honour of hosting the world’s favourite sporting event.

From the horrific treatment of migrant workers, a scant regard for women’s rights to a lack of press freedom – there is a list as long as my arm as to why the World Cup should not be going to Qatar – and that’s before I start on the criminalisation of homosexuality for both men and women in Qatar.

Over the past months many reports have emerged of the active persecution of LGBT+ people in Qatar by the secret police as covered by Human Rights Watch and the attempts to force conversion therapy on some of them.

It must be noted that our own UK government has continued to delay on bringing forward a ban on the barbaric practise of conversion therapy here too. As Co-Chair of Pride in Football, the umbrella group for 50+ LGBT+ fan groups UK-wide, we have had much debate around our response to this discredited World Cup.

Rishi Madlani is part of the Foxes Pride group

A number of our members have chosen to boycott the World Cup entirely, a decision we fully respect. We have been encouraging those boycotting to attend some of the League One and Two and women’s games that will continue throughout the tournament – and to be visibly LGBT+ (or show their allyship) whilst doing so to highlight the plight of our LGBT+ siblings in Qatar.

In parallel, and fully aware that by boycotting we risk losing our voice during the World Cup watched by hundreds of millions, we are supporting the fan-led No Pride Without All campaign.

This will see many LGBT+ fans, allies and our friends greyscale their logos throughout the tournament. If we can’t be welcome to watch and enjoy a festival of football we will show them what they are missing! Similarly from London to Leicester some of our LGBT+ fan groups – supported by 3 Lions Pride and the Rainbow Wall (the England and Wales LGBT+ fans groups respectively), are organising screenings in LGBT+ safe spaces.

We have asked those attending to make a donation to the Alwan Foundation that is doing crucial work to support LGBT+ people in Qatar and across the Middle East and support the Proud Maroons – the LGBT+ fan group for Qatar formed by Dr Nas Mohammed – the LGBT+ fan group that Qatar authorities never wanted. There are a number of other campaigns and organisations to support too – from Stonewall’s Proud Stadium campaign to Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International – which have both done excellent work in spotlighting the plight of migrant workers in Qatar.

So if you do sit down (or head to a local pub) to watch please consider supporting any of the campaigns. We want to send a message to migrant workers, women and LGBT+ communities in Qatar that they are not forgotten.

Do share your support on social media, so we can put pressure on FIFA to not repeat these mistakes and to enable us all to enjoy the beautiful game.

Bloomsbury councillor Rishi Madlani was named ‘inspirational leader’ of the year at the recent at the British LGBT+ awards and is part of the Foxes Pride supporters group at Leicester City