London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Aug 05, 2025

‘No one should have to hide’: Gay minister to wear OneLove armband in Qatar

‘No one should have to hide’: Gay minister to wear OneLove armband in Qatar

Exclusive: Sports Minister Stuart Andrew says he is ‘not going to shy away from who I am’

Sports Minister Stuart Andrew will risk upsetting World Cup hosts Qatar by wearing the OneLove armband when he attends Tuesday’s battle of Britain between England and Wales.

In an exclusive interview with The Standard, the UK’s first openly gay sports minister said he was determined to make the gesture even though world football’s governing body Fifa has warned players they could be booked for making political protests.


Alex Scott wears the OneLove armband during the England v Iran match

“I absolutely will be doing so,” he said. “I’m not going to shy away from who I am. Our message very much is that no one should have to hide who they are.”

Qatar’s controversial World Cup has been at the centre of storm over LGBTQ rights because it forbids same-sex relations under Islamic Sharia law.

With some teams - including England and Wales - preparing to wear the armband in a defiant show of solidarity with the LGBTQ community, Fifa warned players they could face sporting sanctions if they went ahead.

Football associations subsequently backed down although Germany’s players expressed their frustration at the decision before their opening game against Japan by covering their mouths while they posed for a team photo.


Denmark’s former Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt and Germany’s interior minister Nancy Faeser wore the armband in the stands during their countries’ opening games last week.

Mr Andrew, who is also an equalities minister, said that as a gay man he is in a “unique position” to send a message of solidarity to those LGBTQ fans who didn’t feel safe or comfortable to travel to Qatar for the event.


And he slammed Fifa for putting players in an “impossible position” by barring them from showing their support too.

Praising those teams and players who wanted to wear the armbands but couldn’t, he said: “It means a lot to me personally, means a lot to me as a minister and more broadly, means a lot to fans out there.

“It is pretty appalling that at the eleventh hour they were put in a position where they were told there would be sanctions against them. That’s put them in an impossible position.”

Although some have criticised the FAs of England and Wales for backing down, he added: “This is an incredibly important tournament for international football...of course they want to progress as far as they can. For them to be silenced is deeply unfair.”

Fifa defended its decision to threaten to issue yellow cards to players wearing the armband, arguing that its rules don’t allow “political, religious or personal messages or slogans”. It instead offered team captains the chance to wear an armband that says “No Discrimination”.

But Mr Andrew accused the governing body of hypocrisy. “Two weeks ago they wrote to everybody to say just concentrate on the football and don’t do the politics,” he said.

“Then they say you can’t wear the armband, but you can wear ours. Well I’m sorry, that is just not an acceptable position. It’s not sustainable. And I think there are serious questions for FIFA to answer.”

He also took aim at Fifa President Gianni Infantino over his extraordinary rant against western nations for lecturing Qatar over its laws and culture.

“I don’t understand how in one breath you can say, I am gay today. I’m a migrant worker today. I’m Qatar today and whatever. And then the next day tell our teams they can’t wear their armband. Which is it?”

The Tory MP for the Leeds constituency of Pudsey was appointed sports minster by Liz Truss in September but was kept on in the post by Rishi Sunak when he took over last month.

The Welsh-born minister said he considered boycotting the World Cup because of its laws on same sex relationships, but decided to go because he wanted to ensure the hosts were sticking to their commitment to make everyone welcome.

“This has been a decision I’ve thought long and hard about because it is a very deeply personal decision,” he said.

“I have done a lot of work before this tournament started. I met with the Qatari ambassador and had a very frank conversation about what does ‘everyone is welcome’ actually mean.

“I have a responsibility to go there and see for myself that is actually what has been delivered on the ground. And if it isn’t in any way then to challenge that.”

With Fifa’s decision to award Qatar 12 years ago still tainted by allegations of corruption - claims Qatar has always denied - and the country’s human rights record and treatment of migrant workers, Mr Andrew said it was important the lessons of this event are learned.

“There is a spotlight on Qatar now and that is a spotlight that we should not let go out as soon as the tournament is over,” he said.

“I really hope that Fifa will have a long hard look at the criteria that are needed for host nations to host such tournaments because clearly, I would have thought their ambition would be for everybody to want to enjoy the games and make them the most successful ever.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Elon Musk Receives $23.7 Billion Tesla Stock Award
Texas House Paralyzed After Democrats Walk Out Over Redistricting
Mexican Cartels Complicate Sheinbaum’s U.S. Security Talks
Mark Zuckerberg Declares War on the iPhone
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval for $29 Billion Compensation Package for Elon Musk
Nvidia is cutting prices on its RTX 50-series graphics cards after sales slowed and inventories piled up
Ghislaine Maxwell Transferred to Minimum-Security Prison Amid Ongoing DOJ Discussions
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Matt Taibbi Slams Media for Role in Russiagate Narrative
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Nationwide Protests Erupt in Brazil Demanding Presidential Resignation
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Mystery Surrounds Death of Brazilian Woman with iPhones Glued to Her Body
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
U.S. Opens Official Investigation into Former Trump Prosecutor Jack Smith
Leaked audio of Canada's new PM Mark Carney admitting the truth about the Net Zero agenda: "We're gonna make a lot of money off of this."
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Absolutely 100% Realistic EVO Series Doll by EXDOLL (Chinese Company) used mainly for carnal purposes
World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab: "In this new world, we must accept... total transparency. You have to get used to it. You have to behave accordingly. But if you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be afraid."
Meet Mufti Hamid Patel, head of Office for Standards in Education in Pakistan
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
Decline in Tourism in Majorca Amidst Ongoing Anti-Tourism Protests
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
Poland Begins Excavation at Dziemiany After New Clue to World War II‑Era Nazi Treasure
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Threatens Canada with Tariffs Over Palestinian State Recognition
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Trump Sues Murdoch in “Heavyweight Bout”: Lawsuit Over Alleged Epstein Letter Sets Stage for Courtroom Showdown
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
×