England cricketer Steven Davies: Gay football fans should not fear travelling to the next World Cups in Russia & Qatar
These comments are un-moderated and do not necessarily represent the views of PinkNews.co.uk. If you believe that a comment is inappropriate or libellous please click "Report" or email us. Terms and Conditions · Privacy Policy
New 'Gay Marriage No Thanks' group launches with 'ten good reasons' to oppose equal marriage
88
Lord Tebbit: I wouldn't have been surprised if Jimmy Savile was homosexual
85
Archbishop of York: Would the Church of England rather bless 'sheep and trees' than gay couples?
85
Barry Cryer brands ITV's Vicious 'homophobic' television
85
Lib Dems' Baroness Williams to support anti-equal marriage 'union' amendment
72
Mixed martial arts fighter: 'Equal marriage could lead to incest, bestiality and child marriages'
69
Maria Miller tables Public Order Act amendment protecting critics of equal marriage
67
Labour MSP Elaine Smith: 'I'm against equal marriage but don't call me homophobic'
65
Tory Lord Mawhinney tables 'traditional marriage' amendment for equal marriage bill
62
Lord Hylton tables new wrecking amendment for the equal marriage bill
62
Taxpayer 385
Robert in S. Kensington 366
That There Other David 310
Eddy 307
D.McCabe 275
Jock S. Trap 271
twitless 267
Rehan 256
Pavlos 240
bobbleobble 216
They shouldn’t HAVE to, but actually, yes they should fear.
At the very least, gay football fans ought to be vigilant when traveling to countries where official policy is against gay people. The Russian government is apparently successfully raising a culture of homophobia, and any gay man NOT being aware of that when travelling to Russia, could be in for a nasty shock.
I’m not suggesting not travelling, but being when doing so, being vigilant and mindful of your ‘devient western behaviour’ :(
I admire his optimism but unfortunately this is just not true
the law is there – hoping that they probably won’t enforce it seems ridiculously weak and desperate to cling to
And even if they don’t – why would we (or Fifa for that matter) support such brutality?
Oh I don’t fear travelling to either place. I deliberately choose not to help the economy of either country by giving them my tourism money. Anyway, giving the tournament to Qatar shows up the sport’s governing body as utterly corrupt and deserving of contempt. How can anyone have considered a tiny autocratic human rights hellhole with only two towns to be suitable without being bribed?
I admire the guy but agree with you wholeheartedly. I have absolutely no intention of donating any if my pink £s to these regimes or of putting my safety at risk. This really is one for the international community to sort out. In the meantime any of our LGBT friends facing prejudice in their home country should be welcomed to this one if they want to make the trip or supported appropriately where they are if they don’t.
Davies needs to understand that traveling as a celebrity with a team and security is very different from being an ordinary traveller. As sparky points out, hoping that the will not enforce the law just because you are a tourist is a huge gamble.
And don’t expect the government to step in if they do, they are more concerned with oil and gas contracts.
Even if there were a guarantee that the law wouldn’t be enforced, there is still the moral issue, if you visit and spend money in a homophobic state you are supporting homophobia.
They shouldn’t be going at all. Until backward countries like Russia gain some respect for human rights, we should boycott them in every way possible
I think Steven Davies is a very decent guy and I admire him a great deal for coming out fairly early in his top-flight career.
However, he is dangerously wrong on this. I very much hope he will reconsider his comments and amend them as soon as possible.
Mr Davies should contact ILGA for more information on the real situation in Russia and UAE, including the fact that foreigners are regularly imprisoned in Dubai for consensual gay sex, including (in one recent case) in private.
Why have these events in those hate filled countries,,that would sent a stronger message rather than risking their lives to play there…It’s only a matter of time before some crazed idiot will try to make a point and then it will be far too late…
Is this idiot for real. These countries are ignorant cesspools of anger and hatred. I would not advise a straight person to travel there. Supporting them without castagating fhem for their homophobic is a stab in the back for your own gay people.
Just as important of an issue for me is the fact that The World Cup is willing putting money into the economies of nations that openly persecute the LGBT community. You wouldn’t hold The World Cup in a nation that implements policy’s of racial segregation, so why the double standard?
Why contribute to the economies of repressive anti gay regimes? Plenty of places in the world that give us equal rights that have sun, sand and freedom to be us too!
If you are identifiable as Gay because of your manner or dress sense I would avoid going. Some young Mexican friends of mine visiting a theatre festival in Russia were constantly spat on because they looked foreign.
…lovely people…
Just makes me wanna save up and spend it all in Russia don’t it…?
Personally I think the idea of paying money to go to a homophobic country is wrong.
Aside from work related stuff I wouldn’t go to any country which can’t even protect the human rights of its own citizens
Gay people should NEVER set foot in either country! Are you crazy????
Yeah right. He should speak to Peter Tatchell about not fearing travel in Russia. If a person sees and tries to stop a gay bashing, they risk being bashed themselves. Peter has permanent injuries from his assault by Russian authorities.
Other tourists flouting local rules have ended up in jail in Dubai, even for private activities like two women and a man sharing a straight threesome.
Countries with repressive laws against their citizens are not safe places for tourists to visit.