US journalist detained at World Cup stadium over LGBTQ shirt

The Qatari crackdown on support for the LGBTQ community has seen an American journalist get detained on Monday November 21.

Journalist Grant Wahl, who runs a Substack covering soccer and formerly wrote for Sports Illustrated, revealed on Twitter that he was not allowed into the stadium for Monday’s US-Wales 2022 World Cup match because of his shirt.

His shirt had a soccer ball surrounded by a rainbow, considered the pride colour of the LGBTQ community.

Wahl tweeted that he was told: “You have to change your shirt. It’s not allowed.”

Later in the day, Wahl tweeted an update, saying he was “OK, but that was an unnecessary ordeal”.

He wrote: “Am in the media center, still wearing my shirt. Was detained for nearly half an hour. Go gays.:

Earlier on Monday, Nov. 21, FIFA threatened European team captains with automatic yellow cards for wearing a “OneLove” armband, as they had planned to do, leading England’s Harry Kane to back down and wear a FIFA-sanctioned armband instead.

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