Perry's Tracksuit Bottoms
King of Sussex
I personally am very relieved that sport had nothing to do with politics until this happened.
I'd be very surprised if the Swan gets that reference.Never mind training camps in the Gulf, l think we should decamp to Ireland and replay the Battle of Longford.
I've heard of it beforeI'd be very surprised if the Swan gets that reference.
Don't have an issue with them going to Dubai personally, it's permanently packed with Western business people and tourists, not too far away, has great facilities and December is a good time to go weather-wise.I think a lot of the room says that going to do some footballing in countries where there's a death penalty for being homosexual is not a good thing and should be avoided.
..... and just leave South Africa happily existing in apartheid? Stopping sports-mad South Africa participating in international sport, particularly rugby and cricket, was an absolute game-changer.Football team goes to train in Dubai shocker!
Leave Politics out of Sport
Yeah same as in Qatar then.Don't have an issue with them going to Dubai personally, it's permanently packed with Western business people and tourists, not too far away, has great facilities and December is a good time to go weather-wise.
Re the death penalty - technically perhaps, but not practically in the case of Dubai.......no evidence it's ever been used (and execution is hardly used at all - handful of cases in 30 years or so, mostly involving child murderers or terrorists). I know several LGBT+ people in Dubai - just not flaunted perhaps as much as it might be elsewhere (same goes for unmarried hetero couples). I've been told there are even 'gay nights' in bars - they're just not openly advertised as such
When was the last time that happened in Dubai ? When was the last time anyone actually got punished simply for being gay ?Yeah same as in Qatar then.
A bit of flogging is usually seen as enough to make people a bit less gay the next time the urge creeps in.
I don't know. Probably a lot of people don't know as following Qatar getting the World Cup in 2010, there seems to be less public punishment for gay people, and more "disappearances" in general, in quite a few of the Gulf countries. Cleaner from the PR perspective I suppose, and also makes it easier for their luxuary tourists to fight their cases so that they can go and enjoy their vacations without qualms.When was the last time that happened in Dubai ? When was the last time anyone actually got punished simply for being gay ?
Well, quite. I've lived there for over 16 years. Around a third of the expat women's football team I used to coach were gay or bi.I know several LGBT+ people in Dubai - just not flaunted perhaps as much as it might be elsewhere (same goes for unmarried hetero couples).
Yep, this. Absolutely agree (I've never been there either).I don't know.
I always look up situations using Amnesty or, even better, HRW. Gives an overview of what is actually happeningWell, quite. I've lived there for over 16 years. Around a third of the expat women's football team I used to coach were gay or bi.
My regular barber was a gay Filipino. One of the guys in the business networking group I attended married his boyfriend. It's not uncommon.
What's unhelpful is that people tend to lump all of the Middle Eastern countries in together as if they were all the same.
As anyone who's ever spent any time there, they're really not. The likes of Cyprus and Lebanon are a world apart from Yemen and Iran.
Even all the individual emirates in the UAE are very different. Abu Dhabi is very different to Dubai, which is very different to Sharjah.
Changes are being made in the area, albeit at different speeds from country to country.
As an example, rules on unmarried cohabitation have been relaxed in Dubai during the last few years.
The Pride flag was flown over the UK Embassy in Abu Dhabi last summer.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/british-embassy-uae-pride-flag-b1874493.html
As for the UAE, it's only been in existence as a country for 50 years. There's still work to be done, but things are changing.
Considering it took British Parliament and Royalty 60 years to posthumously pardon Alan Turing, let's not be too quick to judge here.
Human Rights Watch documented six cases of severe and repeated beatings and five cases of sexual harassment in police custody between 2019 and 2022I always look up situations using Amnesty or, even better, HRW. Gives an overview of what is actually happening
Qatar: Security Forces Arrest, Abuse LGBT People
Qatar Preventive Security Department forces have arbitrarily arrested lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people and subjected them to ill-treatment in detention, Human Rights Watch said today. LGBT people interviewed said that their mistreatment took place as recently as September...www.hrw.org
They've got a few princesses locked up for wanting to live freely but, to be fair they didn't chop their heads or hands off.Dubai's alright. They only do a little bit of murder don't they?
Like Swanny for exampleWell, quite. I've lived there for over 16 years. Around a third of the expat women's football team I used to coach were gay or bi.
My regular barber was a gay Filipino. One of the guys in the business networking group I attended married his boyfriend. It's not uncommon.
What's unhelpful is that people tend to lump all of the Middle Eastern countries in together as if they were all the same.
As anyone who's ever spent any time there, they're really not. The likes of Cyprus and Lebanon are a world apart from Yemen and Iran.
Even all the individual emirates in the UAE are very different. Abu Dhabi is very different to Dubai, which is very different to Sharjah.
Changes are being made in the area, albeit at different speeds from country to country.
As an example, rules on unmarried cohabitation have been relaxed in Dubai during the last few years.
The Pride flag was flown over the UK Embassy in Abu Dhabi last summer.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/british-embassy-uae-pride-flag-b1874493.html
As for the UAE, it's only been in existence as a country for 50 years. There's still work to be done, but things are changing.
Considering it took British Parliament and Royalty 60 years to posthumously pardon Alan Turing, let's not be too quick to judge here.