Football World Cup
“Unfortunately, we can’t accommodate you”: Official World Cup hotels in Qatar openly reject homosexuals
People understand each other: Fifa President Gianni Infantino (l) and Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar.
© Hassan Ammar / DPA
Fifa promotes equality, including for people from the LGBTQI+ community. However, research shows that homosexuals are not welcome in all official World Cup hotels during the football World Cup in Qatar.
During the World Cup in Qatar it could be difficult for gays and other people in the LGBTQI+ community to rent a hotel room. This was the result of joint research by the three Scandinavian TV broadcasters NRK (Norway), DR (Denmark) and SVT (Sweden). Journalists had therefore pretended to be a homosexual couple and asked for a room at a total of 69 official World Cup hotels of the football world association Fifa.
59 hotels replied, three of which rejected the request directly. “Thanks for the question, but as per our hotel policy we cannot accommodate you,” read one reply. Another hotel does not accept gay couples and another said “such a check-in is not possible”.
> Oliver Bierhoff Manager German National Anyone who pretends is welcome
20 other hotels do not want the guests to openly show their gayness. There have been incidents in the past in which the police have taken gay Qataris out of hotels, one hotel said. In addition, one would violate state policy if one “puts on make-up and dresses homosexually”. “Decently dressed” and without sexual activities, the couple is welcome. 33 hotels had no objections, 13 did not answer or are currently only corona quarantine hotels.
“Fifa will ensure that the hotels mentioned are once again made aware of our strict requirements regarding the non-discriminatory reception of guests. Hotels and other service providers associated with the World Cup will have their contracts terminated if they fail to meet the high requirements of the organizers,” said the world association on Friday on request. Any discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity is strictly prohibited, FIFA said.
The World Cup tournament will take place in the Arab Emirate from November 21st to December 18th. Fifa boss Gianni Infantino said at the 72nd Fifa Congress in early March: “Everyone will see that everyone is welcome here in Qatar, even if we’re talking about LGBTQI+.”
LGBTQI+ prohibited by law
The abbreviation LGBTQI+ summarizes people of different identities and sexual orientations, i.e. people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and intersex. In Qatar, homosexuality is illegal and punishable by up to seven years in prison.
The World Cup host Qatar is not only criticized by international organizations because of the human rights situation and the conditions for foreign workers. Amnesty International recently ruled that women and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people (LGBTQI+) “continue to be discriminated against both by law and in everyday life”. The Lesbian and Gay Association in Germany (LSVD) even called for a boycott of the World Cup last fall.
On the human rights front, Qatar’s government has denied the allegations, citing reforms. The UN labor organization ILO also confirmed that Qatar is making progress. Human rights activists continue to criticize.
