London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Feb 25, 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
Lord Mandelson Condemns Arrest as Driven by ‘Baseless Suggestion’ He Would Flee Abroad
Former UK Ambassador Released on Bail Following Arrest in Epstein-Linked Investigation
UK Parliament Orders Release of Former Prince Andrew’s Government Vetting Files
Reddit Fined £14 Million by UK Regulator Over Failures in Age Verification Controls
UK Moves to Tighten Regulation of Netflix, Disney+ and Prime Video Under New Media Rules
British Woman Who Reported Rape in Hong Kong Faces Possible Prosecution
'Christianity is the religion that has made this country great.'
Man Receives Parking Ticket 38 Years After Offense: ‘City Officials Said It’s Legitimate’
Woman Receives Gift Card for Christmas – Discovers It Is ‘Worth’ 63,000,000,000,000,000 Pounds
UK Sanctions New Zealand Insurer Maritime Mutual Following Allegations Over Russian Oil Cover
Reform MP Danny Kruger Condemns UK’s ‘Unregulated Sexual Economy’ in Call for Tougher Controls
The Show Must Go On: Prince William and Kate Middleton Shine at the BAFTAs Amid Andrew’s Arrest
UK Sanctions Russian ‘Illicit Oil Traders’ After Email Blunder Exposes Sanctions Evasion Network
Russia Amplifies Baseless Claims That UK and France Plan to Arm Ukraine with Nuclear Weapons
UK Imposes Sanctions on Two Georgian Television Channels Over Alleged Russian Disinformation
United States National Parks See Noticeable Drop in Visitors from Canada, U.K. and Australia
UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand Escalate Sanctions on Russia as Ukraine War Marks Four Years
I Gave Andrew a Nude Massage Inside Buckingham Palace
UK Economy Faces Acute Strain as Trump’s Global Tariff Reshapes Trade Landscape
UK Signals Retaliation Is Possible as New US Tariff Policy Threatens Trade Stability
British Police Arrest Former Ambassador Peter Mandelson in Epstein-Related Misconduct Probe
Australia Officially Supports Proposal to Remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from Royal Succession
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan remains silent on ISIS brides' resettlement plans in Melbourne
Former UK Ambassador Peter Mandelson Arrested in Connection with Jeffrey Epstein
Jacob Rees Mogg afraid to talk about Peter Mandelson arrest on “suspicion of misconduct in a public office” (Pedophilia, corruption, etc.)
United Nations Calls for Global Action Against Disinformation and Hate Speech Online
Tucker Carlson warns of an inevitable clash in Western societies over mass migration
President Trump warns countries against abandoning recent trade deals with the US
Diverging Polls Show Mixed Signals on UK Economic Revival as Confidence Remains Fragile
Spotify Expands AI-Driven ‘Prompted Playlists’ Feature to the United Kingdom and Other Markets
Greens and Reform UK Surge in Manchester By-Election, Threatening Labour’s Historic Stronghold
UK Businesses Push for Closer European Trade Links Amid Renewed US Tariff Uncertainty
Deloitte Global Overhaul Sparks Leadership Contest in the United Kingdom
University of Kentucky and Microsoft to Showcase Campus-Wide AI Innovation
UK Food System Faces Acute Vulnerability to Shocks, Experts Warn
Reform UK’s Proposed ICE-Style Deportation Scheme Triggers Sharp Backlash
U.S. Global Tariff Push Leaves Britain, Australia and Others Facing Higher Costs and Trade Strain
UK Police Officers Guarded 2010 Epstein Dinner Attended by Prince Andrew, Reports Say
US Trade Representative Affirms Commitment to Existing Tariff Agreements with UK and Other Partners
Activists at the Louvre hung a framed Reuters photograph of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor slumped in the back of a car leaving a police station on the day of his arrest
The royal biographer said that he expected the police to 'look at the money trail' - including Sarah Ferguson borrowing money from Epstein
A Protestor screams in NYC: “Bill Gates is on the Epstein’s List…”
FBI and Secret Service Hold Press Conference After Shooting Incident at Mar-a-Lago
Mark Zuckerberg Testifies in Trial Over Social Media's Impact on Children's Mental Health
Maggie Oliver exposes Keir Starmer using letters to close child rapists investigations
Kouri Richie's wrote a children’s book to help her sons grieve the death of their father. Now she’ll stand trial for his murder
New York Braces for Major Snowstorm With Up to 18 Inches Forecast and Blizzard Warnings Issued
Mexican Military Kills CJNG Leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes as Violence Erupts Across Jalisco
Metropolitan Police Deploys Palantir-Powered AI to Flag Potential Officer Misconduct
UK Parliament Rebukes Police Over Ban on Israeli Football Fans
×