Socceroos Fan Denied Entrance After Security Found A Rainbow Flag In Bag

In another show of Qatar cracking down on any support of the LGBTQ+ community, an Australian fan was denied entry into the main World Cup ticketing centre after a bag inspection by security found a rainbow version of the Australian flag.

The story was reported by Wide World of Sports, where the fan who remains anonymous for safety reasons, states that they tried to enter the ticketing building at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre.

The fan stated that he initially wanted to bring the flag to the Australia games, but the incident has now left him deterred.

“They told me I couldn’t come in after looking through my bag – I haven’t tried it at a game or anything after that experience,” he said as reported by Wide World of Sports.

“I really regret coming – but I came for the football.”

No Rainbows Welcomed

He isn’t the only one. Many fans have dealt with the authorities for any flags or articles of clothing that have a rainbow on it.

Former Wales captain Laura McAllisterr and others were told to remove their rainbow bucket hats ahead of a match against the United States. It’s worth noting that originally, only female fans were asked to remove them.

Our rainbow bucket hat. We are so proud of them, BUT news on the ground tonight is our welsh female supporters wearing them in #Qatar are having them taken off them, Not the men, just Women. @FIFAcom ARE YOU SERIOUS !!#LGBTQRights ????????????????????????????????️‍????????️‍⚧️#WeBelong | #NoPrideWithoutAll pic.twitter.com/bvo9y51WzG

— The Rainbow Wall ????️‍????????️‍⚧️???????????????????????????? (@TheRainbowWall) November 21, 2022

“I pointed out that FIFA had made lots of comments about supporting LGBT rights in this tournament and said to them that coming from a nation where we’re very passionate about equality for all people, I wasn’t going to take my hat off,” she said as reported by Sport Bible.

“They were insistent that unless I took the hat off, we weren’t actually allowed to come into the stadium.”

In an updated tweet, the official Twitter account of the Cymru National Football Teams, the Rainbow Wall revealed that men were eventually asked to remove their bucket hats as well.

Journalist Detained For T-Shirt

Journalists covering the World Cup have also been subjected to strict rules, with one US reporter denied entry into the stadium for a t-shirt that depicted a football surrounded by a rainbow.

Grant Wahl states that he was detained for nearly half an hour before being released.

I’m OK, but that was an unnecessary ordeal. Am in the media center, still wearing my shirt. Was detained for nearly half an hour. Go gays ???? https://t.co/S3INBoCz89

— Subscribe to GrantWahl.com (@GrantWahl) November 21, 2022