London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Jul 15, 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
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
A 92-year-old woman, who felt she doesn't belong in a nursing home, escaped the death-camp by climbing a gate nearly 8 ft tall
French Journalist Acquitted in Controversial Case Involving Brigitte Macron
Elon Musk’s xAI Targets $200 Billion Valuation in New Fundraising Round
Kraft Heinz Considers Splitting Off Grocery Division Amid Strategic Review
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
EU Proposes New Tax on Large Companies to Boost Budget
Trump Imposes 35% Tariffs on Canadian Imports Amid Trade Tensions
Junior Doctors in the UK Prepare for Five-Day Strike Over Pay Disputes
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
×