As a gesture, it was already hollow. “#OneLove” armbands were due to be worn by players from England, Wales and several other European nations as a symbol of solidarity towards LGBTQ people while the World Cup was held in one of the world’s most sexually repressive countries.
But Richard Of York did not Give Battle In Vain for the rainbow on these armbands — instead the spectrum on offer was red, black, green, magenta, yellow and cyan. Even this was deemed too offensive for the mediaeval Qatari hosts, forcing FIFA, football’s governing body, to threaten immediate yellow cards for players wearing the bands.
Having intended to highlight how gay men face heavy fines and seven years of imprisonment, if not the death penalty, in the tournament’s host country, the teams promptly folded. This afternoon England’s players hit Iran for six, displaying impressive attacking chemistry but no symbols of protest.
Of course, Enlightenment values of tolerance and liberalism were never going to be fit to compete with the sackfuls of cash on offer, as well as a chance at footballing glory.
“As national federations, we can’t put our players in a position where they could face sporting sanctions including bookings, so we have asked the captains not to attempt to wear the armbands in FIFA World Cup games,” said seven European teams in a joint statement.
Here’s the thing: LGBTQ people don’t get to choose between gestures and money. This is our existence, and sexual repression results in real, measurable harm — from bullying and self-censorship to the sharp end of depression, sexual violence and suicide.
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