Qatar, LGBT rights and pink varnish
By Pablo Vasco
The men's soccer World Cup has just started, so that a good part of the planetary attention is already following the magical swings of the ball, from now until almost the end of the year holidays. And that has its logic, given the enormous global popularity of football, which is also driven by all types of advertising campaigns and other multi-million dollar businesses that surround that sport., especially in international competitions.
One of the issues that has been sparking controversy is the very harsh Qatari legislation towards LGBT people.. But before continuing with that we want to point out another very painful issue., about which the mainstream media barely talks or directly lies: that of the 6.500 workers - almost all immigrants from poor countries- who left their lives in the construction of stadiums since 2010, when Qatar was chosen to host the championship. Suffice it to say that the Qatari government, with the complicity of FIFA, He affirms without any shame that only three have died...
Punishment for being the way you are
Qatar is a confessional state, with Sunni Islam as the official religion. Qatari law establishes for homosexual people, bisexuals or transsexuals sentenced to up to ten years in prison, fines and also mandatory “conversion therapies”. And if the law punishes like this, obviously the police stop, hits, torture and even deny medical assistance and judicial defense. Instead of respecting it, Qatar criminalizes one of the most basic human rights, inherent to every person: the right to free sexual orientation and gender identity.
By the way, How the Qatari government, faced with pressure, now seeks to avoid major scandals and give the world a certain image of "freedom and modernity", Some officials have declared that they will not ban rainbow flags in the stands or the use of LGBT badges.. yes: They will not tolerate any display of affection outside the closet.. We'll see what happens.
But Qatar is no exception. Today 69 countries of the 195 around the world still criminalize homosexuality: one in three. The death penalty applies in seven: in Saudi Arabia, Iran, Yemen, Brunei, regions of Somalia and Nigeria, and in Iraq by non-state agents. In four other countries capital punishment persists as an interpretation ofsharia (islamic law), but it does not apply: Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan and Mauritania. in Gambia, Uganda and Bangladesh, the punishment for homosexual relations - consensual and between adults- it's a life sentence. In Iran, that this same year he already executed four men for that reason, a homosexual kiss implies 60 whippings... A complete inhuman aberration to continue fighting.
Background solutions, no pinkwashing
However; In other countries, the lack of criminalization of sexual diversity behavior is not equivalent to the automatic recognition of rights by the State.. In Argentina and everywhere else where progress has been made, it has been through the struggle and mobilization of the LGBT community for years and sometimes decades..
Given the specific case of Qatar and its anti-gender rights regime, FIFA, who already organized the previous World Cup in the Russia of the homo-hating dictator Putin, kept the most absolute silence. Instead, until now 13 of the 32 Participating teams announced that their captains will wear rainbow armbands and eight of them have already confirmed it: Belgium, Gales, France, Denmark, Holland, Germany, England and Switzerland. But the supportive attitude of these delegations should not confuse anyone about the role of their governments and States., appliers of adjustment plans and defenders of patriarchal capitalism. In these same European countries, it is necessary to continue the fight so that the rights won by women and LGBT people are effective., progress is made in new rights and a sufficient budget is applied to public policies in this regard.
Hepink washing or pink varnish exists on the part of States and governments. It is making some eventual political gesture or taking some low-cost measure to show oneself as respectful of gender rights., but in order to hide class exploitation or other forms of oppression, whether imperialist, racist or anti-immigrant. As well, sometimes, to disguise state financing of the Catholic Church or other reactionary and anti-rights cults, that are functional to the dominant bourgeoisie because they defend class conciliation and sexist prejudices.
An extreme case ofpink washing is that of Israel, that boasts of being an LGBT “paradise” while daily committingIn South Africa there are many struggles for the expropriation of land without compensation and genocide against the Palestinian people. In that sense, for example, We vindicate the decision of the organizing committee of the Pride March in Buenos Aires, that our party integrates along with dozens of other groups, of not only booing Qatar but also of not allowing the Israeli embassy to participate in this massive event since said State violates human rights.
As revolutionary socialists we participate in unity and without any sectarianism in the struggles of the LGBT community and feminists in general., at the same time we consider them part of a higher political fight to fundamentally change this system., which is the origin of all violence. In your crisis, capitalism increasingly attacks all rights, as evidenced by the rollback of abortion rights in the United States. That is why we fight for a fair and supportive system, socialism, where each person can freely develop their sexuality and all their other capacities. Including, Of course it is, the right of any player or spectator to kiss their partner, in any football stadium, in Qatar or any other country in the world.
