SUPPORT US
What you can do
If you are planning on going to, or working at, the FIFA Men’s World Cup in Qatar you can play a role to ensure you are not perpetuating risks to the rights of LGBTIQ+ people and their exclusion.
The following sections include tips on how you can support LGBTIQ+ people and join the call for inclusion. The tips draw on what is called human rights due diligence, which means taking steps to ensure you understand risks to human rights in a given context and are doing as much as possible to respect them.
What is human rights due diligence?
Increasingly European and national level regulatory frameworks are creating obligations on companies to undertake human rights due diligence and reporting. The global guidance for carrying out human rights due diligence is set out in the UN Guiding Principles on Human Rights and Business. Its key components are:
Identifying human rights risks through impact assessment
Integrating findings from these assessments into your operations or business relationships
Measuring the effectiveness of measures taken
Communicating to stakeholders, including those affected, on what you are doing and your policies and practises
Download our handy due diligence
factsheet to read offline
Be an ally of the LGBTIQ+ community
Allies are people who actively choose to align themselves with those who are marginalised or disadvantaged with the aim of improving their circumstances.
Watch YouTube star @chescaleigh on how to be an ally
Asking the right questions:
You can help by asking relevant questions. These questions encourage individuals and entities to consider their impact on LGBTIQ+ people and in turn challenge those who are not contributing to making LGBTIQ+ people safe.
Consider asking questions of your service providers and colleagues working with in the following areas:
Hotels
Hospitality
Security
Transport
Technical services and equipment
Protection of team/staff members
When choosing which suppliers to use, it is important to remember that all of them should be in a position to answer the questions you ask of them.
Try not to make assumptions on the size and approach of the supplier or the origin of their parent company. The common impression may be that international corporations will maintain the high standards they have in other territories while operating in Qatar. This could be misguided. There are companies that lower the bar on human rights because they believe the local market does not require, or indeed prohibits, the higher standards expected in other countries.
Sample questions to ask
Be adaptable in getting to the answers you want and the specific dynamics of the industry you are approaching.
Do you have a non-discrimination and inclusion policy?
Is your facility open to everyone, including LGBTIQ+ people?
Will you guarantee bookings from LGBTIQ+ members?
We have LGBTIQ+ staff members, friends or relatives; will they be treated equally?
Can you supply your service to a group that contains LGBTIQ+ members?
What is your complaints process and who will be responsible if we have complaints?
Do you currently employ any LGBTIQ+ people in your company?
Do you ask your suppliers to sign a
contract with non-discrimination clauses?
Relevant areas of human rights due diligence are:
- Hotels,
- Transport,
- Self-policing of supporter behaviour.
Supporters are the lifeblood of football. Without fans stadiums would be empty, the passion absent, and matches a flat spectacle for everyone. Supporters have power and a powerful independent voice that can be used for positive impact.
For most fans, the main suppliers that they will want to ask direct questions of are the airline flight and hotel accommodation. There have been recent reports that hotels refused room bookings from same-sex couples.
If you don’t get satisfactory answers, don’t be afraid to take it higher within the organisation or find an alternative supplier.
When in Qatar, be aware of the dynamics of discrimination at transport hubs, among officials, and later when amongst other supporters.
You are a visitor to Qatar but you are empowered to raise questions around human rights issues.
Be aware of supporters that act in a discriminatory way. They are your peers; you have the right to challenge them, but always keep yourself safe.
If you do witness discrimination or human rights violations, make sure you are familiar with the FIFA Grievance Mechanism and other reporting procedures.
You can show your support for LGBTIQ+ human rights by raising and discussing the issue within your supporters group, working out ways of showing solidarity with LGBTIQ+ people through social media, for example.
If you travel to Qatar, you may encounter symbols of LGBTIQ+ pride, such as the rainbow flag. Note that there is no tradition of displaying this flag in Qatar and it has been seen by some as an undesirable symbol.
For their part, FIFA and Qatari organisers have indicated that rainbow flags will be welcomed in stadiums. There are mixed signals however about whether rainbow flags will be welcomed outside stadium areas and you should be aware of guidance and information about this closer to the time.
Relevant areas of human rights due diligence:
- Hotels and training centres,
- Transport,
- Security (including state security forces assigned),
- Technical services and equipment,
- Protection of team/staff members,
- Hospitality and concierge services.
The role of FAs is critically important as stakeholders in World football and all World Cups. They have leverage that very few others in the industry do, not least because every national team that plays in the World Cup finals will benefit from the success of the event – financially and reputationally.
It is important that FAs also consider their own responsibility to do no harm and to prevent negative human rights impact. A number of international organisations have been active in raising human rights issues in relation to Qatar and want to see change. Some will continue to make statements in this vein during the tournament in Qatar.
This activity is welcome, but their human rights due diligence should also be conducted in an active way. There might be LGBTIQ+ people in the FA’s operations team, in the families of players, etc. FAs could consider combining their human rights due diligence on LGBTIQ+ rights and inclusion with their human rights due diligence on migrant worker rights.
It is important that you ask questions independently even if the services have been referred to you or they are run by the Qatari state. Do not rely on another organisation to have conducted the human rights due diligence for you.
National associations should carry out human rights due diligence into the wide range of services they will need during their time in Qatar. Some services might be seen as core and others discretionary, sourced for the comfort and well-being of players and staff.
You will be booking a lot of hotel rooms. Do not worry about doing due diligence retroactively. Asking questions even if bookings have been made can lead to a change in processes and policy.
All national teams will choose training centres in Qatar, sometimes connected to hotels. The training centres will be mostly state owned (and some may be owned and run separately to the accommodation). Questions to the management will still be relevant.
Security at venues which involve teams will be provided by a mix of private and state forces. The questions to be asked are relevant in either case.
Other core services such as Transport will most likely be provided by large suppliers who can offer the quality and number of vehicles you will require.
Similar processes apply to hospitality and services that may be termed as ‘concierge’ or bespoke services.
There may be members of your administrative or support staff who do not want to travel to Qatar because they are part of the LGBTIQ+ community or for reasons of personal conscience. As a matter of good practice they should be given a choice as to whether they travel or not. If they are travelling it is all the more reason to conduct thorough human rights due diligence.
Relevant areas of human rights due diligence:
- Hotels,
- Transport,
- Security,
- Technical service and equipment,
- Protection of team/staff members,
- Hospitality (including event management).
Sponsors are an important part of the eco-system of any sporting mega event and especially one on the scale of a World Cup. You are an important actor making large investments and using the event to profile and showcase your brand. This places both pressure to ensure the event maintains high standards in terms of human rights and gives you significant influence.
Most sponsors will be keen to ensure their actions are not causing direct harm to protected groups. Sponsors will want to avoid being sucked into supporting activities that could cause harm and prevent their own harms.
As well as hotels, transport and hospitality providers, it is also important to ask human rights due diligence questions of the service providers you engage for sponsorship activations.
Many of your employees and direct contract providers will be in Qatar for an extended period of time, they will often be there much longer than supporters and less protected than players and national team staff. As such, they may be at increased risk of harm due to their identity.
Be clear that any who do not wish to be there and who may be at specific risk, because they are part of the LGBTIQ+ community, are given a choice as to whether they travel or not. The same applies to employees who want to stay home for reasons of personal conscience. If they are travelling, please do go through procedures for reporting any infringements and explain the due diligence you have conducted. If there is an LGBTIQ+ workplace grouping please actively consult and communicate with them about the situation.
As a sponsor, you may want to support the LGBTIQ+ community through amplifying their voices in your activations around the event, such as by using media spaces to offer a message on inclusion or ensuring dedicated space to LGBTIQ+ stories.
Relevant areas of human rights due diligence:
- Hotels,
- Transport,
- Security,
- Technical services and equipment,
- Protection of team/staff members,
- Reporting of LGBTIQ+ issues.
Members of the media play an enormously important role at all major sporting events as broadcasters, analysts, reporters, bloggers and influencers. The world will see events on and off the pitch through the eyes of global media organisations and individuals. At the last FIFA Men’s World Cup there were over 15,000 media accreditations issued.
Amongst the 15,000 people who will apply for media passes there will be a significant proportion who define themselves as part of the LGBTIQ+ community. It is important that they are aware of the situation and attitudes in Qatar and are protected from the direct impact of legislation and social attitudes by their employers, clients and commissioning entities.
Many of your employees and direct contract providers will be in Qatar for an extended period of time. They will often be there much longer than supporters and be less protected than players and national team staff, so they are in a uniquely vulnerable position travelling around and coming into contact with multiple state actors.
Be clear that any members of your team who do not wish to be there and who may be at specific risk, because they are part of the LGBTIQ+ community, are given a choice as to whether they travel or not. The same applies to employees who want to stay home for reasons of personal conscience.
If they are travelling please do go through procedures for reporting any infringements and explain the due diligence you have conducted. If there is an LGBTIQ+ workplace grouping please actively consult and communicate with them about the situation.
Media organisations should also think about their coverage of the issues. In a situation in which the rights of protected people are under threat please give the story of LGBTIQ+ rights around the World Cup due weight. The treatment given to the story should not simply be as a disagreement between two sides but an issue fundamental to the values and way a mega sporting event is organised. The factors involved should be fully explained and the views of LGBTIQ+ people part of your coverage. The voices of attendees from the community and LGBTIQ+ supporters and experts should be sought out.
It is also important to consider how the media can reflect the issues that matter to Qatari LGBTIQ+ people, who may not feel comfortable to be openly identifiable during the tournament.
While the right to free expression for all, including media organisations, is enshrined by the UN in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, national laws in Qatar (particularly the 2014 Cyber Crimes Law and 1979 Press Law) restrict these rights. If in the course of media reporting of LGBTIQ+ issues there is any attempt at censorship or to prevent free access these should be dealt with by the senior management of news organisations immediately. In the case of Qatar it should both be raised with your most senior FIFA contact and reported as an urgent issue through the FIFA human rights grievance mechanism.