The Pink Times
Aa
  • Home
  • World News
    • Africa
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • China
    • Europe
    • India
    • Middle East
    • United Kingdom
    • United States
  • Rights
    • Activism
    • Law
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Media
    • Health
  • Health
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Books
    • Entertainment
    • Drag
    • Fashion
    • History
    • Love
    • People
    • Photography
    • Religion
  • Drag
  • Life
  • Money
  • Tech
  • Sports
  • People
Reading: Australia players call out Qatar on LGBTQ, worker rights
Share
Aa
The Pink Times
Search
  • Home
  • World News
    • Africa
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • China
    • Europe
    • India
    • Middle East
    • United Kingdom
    • United States
  • Rights
    • Activism
    • Law
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Media
    • Health
  • Health
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Books
    • Entertainment
    • Drag
    • Fashion
    • History
    • Love
    • People
    • Photography
    • Religion
  • Drag
  • Life
  • Money
  • Tech
  • Sports
  • People
Follow US
The Pink Times > World News > Asia Pacific > Australia players call out Qatar on LGBTQ, worker rights
Asia PacificSports

Australia players call out Qatar on LGBTQ, worker rights

The Pink Times
The Pink Times October 27, 2022
Updated 2022/10/27 at 10:10 AM
Share
The Australian national soccer team, the Socceroos, pose for a photo before the start of a friendly soccer international between Australia and New Zealand in Brisbane, Australia, Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Dan Peled)

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — The Australian men’s soccer team has issued a three-minute video highlighting Qatar’s human rights record, including its treatment of foreign workers and restrictions on the LGBTQI+ community, and demanding genuine reform as a legacy of the Gulf country’s staging of the World Cup.

In the video, 16 players read a sentence or two each from a statement. Football Australia also released a separate statement which said: “The tournament has been associated with suffering for some migrant workers and their families and this cannot be ignored.”

- Advertisement -
Ad imageAd image

The gas-rich emirate has been fiercely criticized in the past decade for its treatment of migrant workers, mostly from south Asia, who were needed to build tens of billions of dollars’ worth of stadiums, metro lines, roads and hotels.

The Socceroos are one of 32 teams competing at the Nov. 20-Dec. 18 World Cup and have added their voices to a growing list of players from competing nations highlighting the issues.

“Addressing these issues is not easy. And we do not have all the answers,” the Australian players said in the video released Thursday. “We stand with FIFPro, the Building and Wood Workers International, and the International Trade Union Confederation, seeking to embed reforms and establish a lasting legacy in Qatar. This must include establishing a migrant resource center, effective remedy for those who have been denied their rights, and the decriminalization of all same-sex relationships.

“These are the basic rights that should be afforded to all and will ensure continued progress in Qatar . . . (and) a legacy that goes well beyond the final whistle of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.”

Goalkeeper Mat Ryan says in the video: “There are universal values that should define football — values such as respect, dignity, trust and courage. When we represent our nation, we aspire to embody these values,”

“As PFA members, we understand the power of collective bargaining and the fundamental rights of all workers to form and join a union,” Danny Vukovic adds.

Football Australia said the video follows almost two years of consultations between the Socceroos, the players’ union, and Football Australia with a number of global organizations including Amnesty International, the sport’s world governing body and FIFPRO, the global players organization.

Qatar’s ruling emir this week lashed out at criticism of his country over its preparations to host soccer’s marquee tournament, describing it as an “unprecedented campaign” targeting the first Arab nation to hold the tournament.

Qatar has repeatedly pushed back, insisting the country has improved protections for migrant workers and claiming the criticism is outdated.

In a televised speech Tuesday, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said Qatar “has been subjected to an unprecedented campaign that no host country has ever faced.”

“The campaign tends to continue and expand to include fabrications and double standards that were so ferocious that it has unfortunately prompted many people to question the real reasons and motives,” he said.

Last month, eight of the 13 European teams which qualified for the tournament said their captains will wear an armband with a heart-shaped, multi-colored design at games to support the “One Love” campaign against discrimination.

The gesture is a clear breach of FIFA rules. It also reflects unease at home about taking soccer’s biggest event to Qatar, where homosexual acts are illegal. Qatar says LGTBQ fans won’t face arrest.

TAGGED: Australia, FIFPro, Qatar World Cup

Join Us!

Subscribe to our newsletter and never miss our latest news, podcasts and more!
Please wait...

Thank you for sign up!

Zero spam, Unsubscribe at any time.
The Pink Times October 27, 2022
Share this Article
Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Whatsapp LinkedIn Tumblr Reddit VKontakte Telegram Email
Share
https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1433186274085588996/Xt2ihQJl_normal.jpg
@thepinktimes
0 Following
81 Followers
https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1433186274085588996/Xt2ihQJl_normal.jpg Mar 23, 2023
Kate McKinnon makes history again with leading role in sci-fi film #LGBTQrepresentation #IntheBlinkofanEye… https://t.co/ACrLvJLdmO
https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1433186274085588996/Xt2ihQJl_normal.jpg Mar 23, 2023
Step into a world of queer beauty and ancient Greece with photographer Helias Doulis. #QueerGrecoRomance… https://t.co/9kXm7OBXq1
https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1433186274085588996/Xt2ihQJl_normal.jpg Mar 23, 2023
Step inside Elska Magazine's latest issue and discover the hot men of Bern's LGBTQ community. Get ready for intimat… https://t.co/1Y3BS6TkUZ
Out actress Kate McKinnon lands leading role in new sci-fi film
Movies
Stunning Queer Tribute to Ancient Greece’s Male Beauty: A Photographer’s Bold Take
Art Photography
Get up Close and Personal with Bern, Switzerland’s Hot LGBTQ Men in Elska Magazine’s Intimate Portrayal
Photography
Jojo Siwa Reveals Shocking Encounter With Former Employer Over Coming Out as Gay
People
VP Kamala Harris Congratulates Trans TikTok Star Dylan Mulvaney – Bigots React
People
Ad image
Join us!

Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!

Please wait...

Thank you for sign up!

Most Viewed Posts

  • Hot Photos from Paul’s Book “Larrikin Prince” Unleashed
  • Hot and Sexy: A Visual Exploration of Masculine Bravado and Regal Splendor
  • A Shift in Perspective: The Art of Male Nude Photography
  • A Journey Through Male Body Diversity with InkedKenny and BEEFYBOY
  • The Ginger Sensation of RuPaul’s Drag Race: A Tribute to Bryce Eilenberg

Useful links

About us
Advertise
Contact
Newsletter

The Pink Times
Follow US

All rights reserved

Join Us!

Subscribe to our newsletter and never miss the latest news, podcasts and more!

Please wait...

Thank you for sign up!

Zero spam, Unsubscribe at any time.

Removed from reading list

Undo
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?