It is probably not far from the openness of World Cup host Qatar, which FIFA has invoked. Several of the official World Cup hotels refuse gay guests or at least have strong reservations about their accommodation. This is shown by research by the Norwegian broadcaster NRK with DR and SVT from Denmark and Sweden.
For the three broadcasters, journalists pretended to be a married gay couple from Sweden or Norway and asked for overnight stays for their “honeymoon”, regardless of the World Cup. Three of the 69 hotels contacted said they would not accept the couple. Once it was said that this was not possible “according to our hotel policy”. Of the hotels contacted, 20 shared clear reservations and let guests know they were not allowed to present themselves as gay.
It was also pointed out that the police had already taken gay Qataris out of the hotel in the past. 33 accommodations had no objections, 13 did not answer or are currently only available as quarantine hotels.
“This is not in line with what the World Cup OC promised”
“Of course, that’s not acceptable and it doesn’t match what the World Cup OC promised,” said Norwegian federation president Lise Klaveness. The Danish association was “disappointed” and formulated the “clear expectation” of a solution. Fifa commented on the research results with a general statement. We are “confident that all necessary measures will be taken to ensure that LGBTQI fans and others can enjoy the tournament in a welcoming and safe manner”.
Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar and can be punished with up to seven years in prison. According to Islamic law, flogging and the death penalty are possible, but according to various human rights organizations, the latter has not yet been carried out. Amnesty International warns against discrimination against women and members of the LGBTQI+ scene in Qatar.
