London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Oct 28, 2026

World Cup 2022: Gay Wales fans refuse to go to Qatar

World Cup 2022: Gay Wales fans refuse to go to Qatar

A gay Welsh football fan fears it is not safe for him and his husband to travel to the World Cup in Qatar.

Tournament organisers have said "everybody is welcome" despite homosexuality being illegal in Qatar.

But Seiriol Dawes-Hughes and husband Jamie said they would not travel this November, despite Wales qualifying for the first time in 64 years.

"Before my husband and I go on holiday, the first thing we do is Google gay rights in that country," he said.

"That's something that straight people do not have to do, but it's something that we do every time and it's remarkable how many countries that people go to regularly aren't safe for people like us, and Qatar is definitely one of those."

Fatma Al-Nuaimi, communications executive director of Qatar's supreme committee for organising the tournament, told BBC Sport this year's World Cup was a "tournament for everyone".

Many LGBTQ+ supporters have already said they are boycotting the tournament over civil rights issues


However, some of the Welsh national football team's staff, as well as members of Wales' official LGBTQ+ supporters' group, the Rainbow Wall, are boycotting Qatar over gay rights.

"This is front and centre for us as Welsh football fans and working in the industry," said Mr Dawes-Hughes, 35, from Caernarfon, Gwynedd.

"But there is no way I would go and it's an absolute disgrace that the World Cup is being held there."

First Minister Mark Drakeford has said Wales should "not look the other way" from human rights concerns, while FAW chief executive Noel Mooney said the team would use the event as a "platform" to discuss the issue.

"This is the clearest and most brazen example of sportswashing I can think of," said Mr Dawes-Hughes.

Sportswashing is a term describing countries using sport to improve their image abroad.

"If this was the women's World Cup then a large percentage of the players [who are gay] could not play," he said.

"So the idea that Welsh female players can't go to support their male counterparts in the first World Cup since '58 is completely unacceptable."

Wales players celebrate qualifying for their first World Cup since 1958


He added: "When the decision was made to host the World Cup in Qatar the footballing community needed to come together but that did not happen and it's now too late.

"We have turned a blind eye to human rights and rights of gay people.

"It shows a complete lack of backbone in the football community to make a stand against this. It's unacceptable to host the World Cup in Qatar but it's happening and what can we do - nothing."

Llanelli MP Dame Nia Griffith said: "I fully understand why fans from LGBT community are very nervous about going or perhaps have decided not to go for those reasons and that is very very sad.

"But we need to tackle these issues when decisions are taken on where these events are held."

The FAW said it was part of a working group, with other European nations attending the World Cup, around the matter.

A spokesman added: "The participating nations are keen to influence change as we fully believe in fans being their authentic selves."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Aberdeen City Council Co-Leader Faces Binding Vote Challenge as Local Councillors Launch High Court Legal Battle
Housebuilding Across Scotland Falls to Eleven-Year Low Despite Government Declarations of a Housing Emergency
Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown Organizes National Innovation Summit in Manchester to Boost Regional Competitiveness
UK Government Faces Mounting Criticism Over Lack of Environmental Consultation During Artificial Intelligence Datacentre Expansion Talks
Greggs Announces Closure of Four Major Manufacturing Facilities Across Britain Resulting in Seven Hundred Forty Job Losses
British Retail Consortium Warns That Cumulative Employment and Regulatory Costs Threaten High Street Price Stability
Lloyds Banking Group Chief Executive Charlie Nunn Warns That Increased Bank Taxes Could Deter Long-Term Economic Investment
Ipsos Polling Reveals Seven in Ten Britons Expect Personal Tax Increases Amid Deep Public Economic Pessimism
Chancellor John Healey Delivers First Autumn Budget in Parliament Amid Tight Fiscal Constraints and Slower Growth Forecasts
United Kingdom Finance Monthly Review Highlights Rising Long-Term Borrowing Costs and Persistent Energy Price Pressures Across British Markets
Royal Marines Pioneer Rapid Autonomous Drone Operations During Major High North Exercise Involving NATO Allies
House of Commons Justice Committee Urges Chancellor to Align Prison and Courts Reform Ambitions With Concrete Budgetary Resources
Government Investigates Rapid Artificial Intelligence Datacentre Expansion Strategy Following Scrutiny Over Power Grid Demands and Planning Backlogs
His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary Warns Third-Party Supplier Breaches Threaten United Kingdom Police and Fire Service Data
Number of British Businesses in Financial Distress Reaches Highest Level in Two Decades Ahead of Fiscal Announcement
Chancellor John Healey Prepares Autumn Budget Amid Intense Market Scrutiny Over Fiscal Headroom and Spending Pressures
Education or Indoctrination? The Growing Debate Over Religious Participation in British Schools
Germany's Vanishing Shopfronts: The Silent Collapse of the Businesses That Built Its Cities
Northern Ireland Executive Reaches Agreement on Public Transport Modernization and Cross-Border Rail Infrastructure Funding
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero Approves New North Sea Carbon Capture and Storage Industrial Clusters
Office for National Statistics Reports Stabilization in Private Rental Growth Across Major English and Welsh Regional Cities
United Kingdom Automotive Manufacturing Output Rises Moderately as Electric Vehicle Assembly Lines Expand in the Midlands
Competition and Markets Authority Launches Formal Inquiry Into Cloud Computing Infrastructure and Artificial Intelligence Partnerships
Scottish Government Finalizes Emergency Budget Adjustments Following Multi-Year Public Sector Funding Shortfalls
National Health Service England Announces Major Emergency Care Overhaul to Alleviate Severe Winter Capacity Pressures
Chancellor Rachel Reeves Prepares Autumn Budget Amid Intensifying Scrutiny Over Public Spending and Fiscal Rules
Bank of England Signals Cautious Approach to Further Interest Rate Cuts as Persistent Wage Growth and Inflation Pressures Remain
Transport for London Unveils Expanded Zero-Emission Bus Fleet to Meet Capital Air Quality Targets
Higher Education Institutions Face Deepening Financial Strain Amid Declining International Student Enrolment
Automotive Industry Leaders Criticize Government Tax Policies and Urge Action on Retail Consumer Confidence
Environment Agency Issues Flood Alerts Across Scottish and English Waterways Following Heavy Rainfall
Independent Audit Highlights Persistent Security Vulnerabilities Across Legacy Government Digital Portals
Northern Ireland Political Leaders Clash Over Westminster Funding Allocations Ahead of Autumn Budget
Ethnic Minorities in England Face Significant Disparities in Routine Breast Cancer Diagnosis Rates
National Police Chiefs Report Alarming Surge in Domestic Abuse Cases Fuelled by Expanding Illegal Cocaine Market
Government Announces Two Hundred and Twenty Million Pound Pothole Funding Boost for Local Highway Authorities
China Issues Formal Warning Over Potential United Kingdom Restrictions on Chinese Electric Vehicles
British Defence Ministers Sign E5 Pact to Enhance European Military Capabilities and Industrial Cooperation Within NATO
United Kingdom Business Activity Expands at Fastest Pace in Eight Months According to S&P Global Flash Survey
Chancellor John Healey Prepares Major Devolution Package and Bank Profit Surcharge Ahead of Upcoming Autumn Budget
National Health Service Consultants in England Announce Two-Day Strike Action Scheduled for November
Major Clean-Up Under Way Across Britain Following Destruction Caused by Consecutive Storms Austen and Boelo
KEY TRENDS TO WATCH
Declassified Intelligence Files Reveal British Security Services Monitored National Health Service Founder
British Government Launches Sweeping Regulatory Crackdown on High-Risk Cosmetic Procedures
Scottish National Party Demands Ban on Using Scottish Revenues to Fund English Nuclear Energy Projects
Mayor of London Initiates Landmark Pedestrianisation of Oxford Street to Revitalise Global Retail Hub
British Judges Granted Expanded Legal Powers to Punish Convicted Killers Who Refuse to Attend Sentencing
United Kingdom Poised to Miss Reduced International Aid Spending Targets Ahead of Fiscal Review
Surging Cocaine Consumption Drives Record Drug Fatalities and Rising Crime Rates Across Britain
×