Gays slam FIFA chief over 'no sex' in Qatar quip

[Big Don]

Gays slam FIFA chief over 'no sex' in Qatar quip
Dec 15 07:34 AM US/Eastern
Breitbart/AFP
EXCERPT:

Gay rights activists have reacted furiously after FIFA President Sepp Blatter quipped that gay football fans should "refrain" from sex during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal. Asked about concerns over the treatment of gay fans at the tournament, Blatter responded: "I would say that they should refrain from any sexual activities."
The comments, made Monday during a press conference in South Africa alongside the country's President Jacob Zuma, are the latest slip-up from the gaffe-prone football chief and provoked an immediate and fierce backlash.
Former NBA basketball star John Amaechi -- who revealed he was gay in 2007 -- led the attack, accusing the FIFA president of "epic, archaic, neanderthal, ignorance.
"With little more than an afterthought FIFA has endorsed the marginalisation of LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] people around the world," he wrote on his blog.
"Anything less than a full reversal of his position is unacceptable."
The Gay Football Supporters' Network, already infuriated by the decision earlier this month to award the 2022 tournament to the Middle Eastern state, called on Blatter to retract his comments immediately or resign.
"Many LGBT people live in countries where they would face execution or imprisonment if discovered, these people deserve our help, our respect and our support," said chair of the group Chris Basiurski in a statement.

END EXCERPT
How dare anyone mention that flaunting one's homosexuality in a nation where homosexuality is a crime might be a bad idea?

 

[CanuckMA]

The mistake was awarding it to them in the first place. Now that it's done, the advice is sound.

 

[granfire]

sheesh, can't they keep it in their pants for 3 weeks?

 

[Empty Hands]

sheesh, can't they keep it in their pants for 3 weeks?

Hint: the gays aren't annoyed because they can't boink in the middle of the street in downtown Doha.

 

[CoryKS]

It's a case of 'Kill the messenger'. He has no sway over Qatar. The only thing he's doing is offering a piece of advice on how to stay safe while travelling in the country. And though I personally have spent no time in a Qatar jail, I'm guessing it's probably a good piece of advice.

But don't let that stop the knee-jerk response. Gods, it must be a miserably unhappy existence to go through life thinking with your emotions.

 

[chrispillertkd]

Gays slam FIFA chief over 'no sex' in Qatar quip
Dec 15 07:34 AM US/Eastern
Breitbart/AFP
EXCERPT:

Gay rights activists have reacted furiously after FIFA President Sepp Blatter quipped that gay football fans should "refrain" from sex during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal. Asked about concerns over the treatment of gay fans at the tournament, Blatter responded: "I would say that they should refrain from any sexual activities."
The comments, made Monday during a press conference in South Africa alongside the country's President Jacob Zuma, are the latest slip-up from the gaffe-prone football chief and provoked an immediate and fierce backlash.
Former NBA basketball star John Amaechi -- who revealed he was gay in 2007 -- led the attack, accusing the FIFA president of "epic, archaic, neanderthal, ignorance.

Any word on what Amaechi said regarding the laws in Qatar? Specifically the law which makes homosexual activity a crime?

"With little more than an afterthought FIFA has endorsed the marginalisation of LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] people around the world," he wrote on his blog.
"Anything less than a full reversal of his position is unacceptable."

So, he wants Blatter to say that homosexuals should engage in sex while they are in Qatar? That would be a "full reversal" of his position, after all. I am curious, however, how endorsing that behavior would help both Blatter and homosexual fans with the authorities in Qatar.

Yet another example of a situation in which all parties should just shut up, IMNSHO.

Pax,

Chris

 

[Cryozombie]

Gods, it must be a miserably unhappy existence to go through life thinking with your emotions.

That's why I'm glad I am not a woman. Or Liberal. *snicker snicker*

K, let the slams begin.

 

[Empty Hands]

It's a case of 'Kill the messenger'. He has no sway over Qatar. The only thing he's doing is offering a piece of advice on how to stay safe while travelling in the country. And though I personally have spent no time in a Qatar jail, I'm guessing it's probably a good piece of advice.

********. He was asked a legitimate question about a legitimate concern that gay fans have in traveling to a country where what they are is illegal. He responded in a flip way that didn't address the question and at least appeared to be dismissive of the concern. For instance, Qatar does not recognize same-sex relationships. Would a gay couple simply traveling together be arrested? Would recognition as a homosexual without sexual activity be enough to trigger arrest? Perhaps he should have gone along those lines instead.

"Mr. FIFA Chief, the next World Cup is in Country X where it is illegal to be a Christian. What should our Christian fans do in this country?"

"Don't pray."

You tell me how well that would go over.

But don't let that stop the knee-jerk response. Gods, it must be a miserably unhappy existence to go through life thinking with your emotions.

Or people want to be treated as equals deserving of respect and don't consider that particularly "emotional."

Kind of a dick way to write off a lot of people all at once without even trying to understand their viewpoint.

 

[Empty Hands]

That's why I'm glad I am not a woman. Or Liberal. *snicker snicker*

K, let the slams begin.

In my experience, there is no creature in this country more emotional than the red-blooded conservative man. From fear of terrorism to uncritical love of country to disdain for the arugula eating elites to anger at those "undeserving" people receiving government benefits emotions seem to rule their lives.

People are emotional, who knew?

 

[granfire]

Hint: the gays aren't annoyed because they can't boink in the middle of the street in downtown Doha.

lol, it's not exactly like one can tell from looking at a person for which team he bats.

Ain't that long ago that it was not legal around these parts either. many states still have the according laws on the books.

 

[CoryKS]

********. He was asked a legitimate question about a legitimate concern that gay fans have in traveling to a country where what they are is illegal. He responded in a flip way that didn't address the question and at least appeared to be dismissive of the concern. For instance, Qatar does not recognize same-sex relationships. Would a gay couple simply traveling together be arrested? Would recognition as a homosexual without sexual activity be enough to trigger arrest? Perhaps he should have gone along those lines instead.

"Mr. FIFA Chief, the next World Cup is in Country X where it is illegal to be a Christian. What should our Christian fans do in this country?"

"Don't pray."

You tell me how well that would go over.

Exactly how did you want him to address the question? Should he get on the horn with the president/king/whatever of Qatar and have him change the law? It isn't dismissive of the concern to offer to them what is, realistically, the only possible advice to give someone going to Qatar. Seriously, what do you want to have happen? And yeah, I expect that the answer would be about the same for Christianity. If the games were held in Fraudi Arabia, where bibles are actually confiscated if found and prayer groups have been arrested, I would expect a similar answer. Because there's nothing he can do. Are you seriously boo-hooing about the tone he used? How old are you?

Or people want to be treated as equals deserving of respect and don't consider that particularly "emotional."

Kind of a dick way to write off a lot of people all at once without even trying to understand their viewpoint.

They're not going to get that in Qatar, period. That's not what makes them 'emotional'. What makes them 'emotional' is their complete unwillingness to recognize the situation as it is, and taking it out on this guy for stating the obvious.

 

[Empty Hands]

Exactly how did you want him to address the question?

Address some of the concerns I raised, for one. Let everyone attending know what the actual boundaries are beyond "don't ****." As the chief of FIFA, I have no doubt he was involved in the negotiations for the World Cup with Qatar, and thus should have the ability to find that out at least, although obviously not to change the law. Or at the least he should acknowledge the concerns and state the limits of his knowledge.

This is serious stuff. Middle Eastern states aren't exactly nice when it comes to the gays. Would simply traveling as a couple be enough to arrest? Would acknowledging your sexuality be enough for arrest? Would looking stereotypically gay be enough to arrest? These concerns go far beyond sex.

Are you seriously boo-hooing about the tone he used? How old are you?

Really?

What makes them 'emotional' is their complete unwillingness to recognize the situation as it is, and taking it out on this guy for stating the obvious.

What they are criticizing him for is his seeming flipness and dismissiveness of gay concerns. Please don't keep claiming that everyone is mad at the guy because he can't change the laws of Qatar.

Although I am sure there is still anger over Qatar being chosen in the first place given their regressive laws. And Blatter has a history of putting his foot in his mouth, such as telling women players that the path to popularity for their sport was to wear tighter shorts. I'm sure that feeds into it as well.

 

[Empty Hands]

lol, it's not exactly like one can tell from looking at a person for which team he bats.

Plenty of people think you can do just that. I knew guys bullied for being "gay" (they were straight) for having long hair when they were young.

As I've pointed out in other posts, there are issues far beyond sex that involve gay travelers. Such as gay couples traveling together or individuals acknowledging their sexuality even if no sex is involved. Is that enough to be arrested and charged in Qatar? Who knows? That would be more useful information to have than this.

 

[Archangel M]

Soccer??

Eh.

 

[chrispillertkd]

lol, it's not exactly like one can tell from looking at a person for which team he bats.

I'll never forget when I was getting my degree in psychology and took a class where the professor had several students from the campus glbt students group and their parents come to speak during one of the lectures. After some of the visitors and their parents giving testimonies (for lack of a better term) about growing up homosexual, what their experiences on campus were like, how the parents reacted to their children coming out, etc. they opened the floor to questions from the other students.

The last question during the class was asked by a young lady who wanted to know how these homosexual students found people to date if they weren't already members of that student group. One gentleman answered by saying, "You can just tell by looking at them." Most of the other students who were the guests that day agreed.

Lots of uncomfortable silence on the part of the students from class since we had all already been told repeatedly by the professor and TAs that this was decidely something you could not do :lol:

Pax,

Chris

 

[granfire]

but you can also be very wrong about it! :lol:

 

[Big Don]

One gentleman answered by saying, "You can just tell by looking at them." Most of the other students who were the guests that day agreed.

Lots of uncomfortable silence on the part of the students from class since we had all already been told repeatedly by the professor and TAs that this was decidely something you could not do

Well, YOU could not, they could, because, apparently, different rules apply. Kind of like how some people are allowed to use certain words and all others are absolutely forbidden to use those same words. It's called Political Correctness, and it is a crock of dung.

 

[granfire]

Well, YOU could not, they could, because, apparently, different rules apply. Kind of like how some people are allowed to use certain words and all others are absolutely forbidden to use those same words. It's called Political Correctness, and it is a crock of dung.

rofl, I think you got that wrong: it's not about PCness but about certain signal a person emits unwillingly to his/her surrounding, more primal than verbal communication!

The deal is, if you keep your pants on, no matter how 'fruity' you act you can't be had for 'those things' I don't think even Sharia works this way.
And then of course there is that thing that a) one would hope a guest would honor the host country as to not break current laws and b) that they (the host country) don't have any interest in busting foreigners for stuff.

I mean, it's somewhere in the world traveler's etiquette: know the customs of your destination and act accordingly.

(I know it's sexist, but I am sure there are more female soccer fans than gay ones...anybody bothered with the head scarf idea?)

 

[Bruno@MT]

"Mr. FIFA Chief, the next World Cup is in Country X where it is illegal to be a Christian. What should our Christian fans do in this country?"

"Don't pray."

You tell me how well that would go over.

Or how about Alabama in the 50s or South Africa in the 80s.
Mr. Fifa Chief, what should the black people do in this country?
Ride the back of the bus, queue in separate line and take real good care not to interfere with the white people.

Yeah...

Qatar shouldn't have gotten it in the first place. And this is a cheap cop out from Blatter.

 

[Tez3]

Sex between unmarried men and women is also illegal, those footballers and fans who aren't married to their partners will also be acting illegally if they bring their girlfriends.
Serious warning about the laws there would have been acceptable, it's the fact he chose to make a joke out of it, actually quite insulting for the hosts as well to have their laws made fun of.