Beth Mead: England forward says World Cup going ahead in Qatar is 'disappointing'

2 years ago 43

England guardant Beth Mead says it is "disappointing" that the men's World Cup is going up successful Qatar.

Mead, who is openly gay, does not deliberation the Gulf authorities is the "right place" for the tourney to beryllium staged.

Homosexual acts are amerciable successful Qatar due to the fact that they are considered immoral nether Islamic Sharia law.

Speaking connected BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour, 27-year-old Mead said that was "the implicit other to what I judge and respect".

"It's not thing I volition beryllium backing oregon promoting. It's disappointing successful the consciousness that there's nary respect connected a batch of levels, adjacent though it's a crippled of football," said the Arsenal forward.

Qatar, which follows strict Muslim laws, has been criticised astir its stance connected same-sex relationships and quality rights issues up of the tournament, which starts connected 20 November.

Punishments for being homosexual see fines, situation sentences of up to 7 years - and adjacent death.

Peaceful protests person been planned by immoderate players, with England's Harry Kane and 9 different captains of European teams wearing 'One Love' armbands.

Qatar's World Cup organisers authorities "everyone is welcome" to sojourn the state to ticker the football, and that no-one volition beryllium discriminated against.

Chief enforcement Nasser al Khater said the authorities would not alteration its laws connected homosexuality and asked visitors to "respect our culture".

Mead, who won subordinate of the tourney and the Golden Boot erstwhile England won the Euros this summer, said: "Although I'm cheering for the boys who are going to play shot there, from the infinitesimal it was announced I thought it wasn't the champion idea."

Mead is successful a narration with Arsenal team-mate Vivianne Miedema. She said they had ne'er felt it indispensable to merchandise a connection oregon adjacent publically travel retired due to the fact that it is conscionable "normal life" for them.

"We've made it the norm from time one," she said. "We haven't felt the request to travel retired and springiness a connection of who we're with and what we're doing, we've conscionable classed it arsenic mean life.

"If I privation to enactment a representation of maine and Viv connected my Instagram, I bash but I don't caption it: 'This is my girlfriend, this is what we're doing.'

"In the men's crippled they consciousness they person to marque a connection of the situation. It's been a culture, and that civilization needs to shift."

Blackpool guardant Jake Daniels is presently the lone openly cheery antheral footballer astatine an English Football League club.

"We're successful the 21st period and you autumn successful emotion with who you autumn successful emotion with. It doesn't substance who they are. That's the cognition we request to get across," Mead added.

"Is it a procreation thing? Is it a civilization happening successful the game? I would emotion to assistance effort and span that spread to conscionable effort and marque it the norm."

Read Entire Article