US Journalist Says He Was Detained In Qatar For Wearing Rainbow Flag T-Shirt To FIFA World Cup Match

Grant Wahl, an independent sports journalist who is visiting Qatar for the FIFA World Cup 2022 was detained on Monday by security officials at a stadium for wearing a rainbow t-shirt.

While same sex relationships are banned by law in Qatar, FIFA had said fans would be allowed to carry the rainbow flag that represents the LGBTQ+ community.

Wahl shared a substack post on Twitter that described his ordeal. He wrote he was detained by security guards for about half an hour when he went to watch the US vs Wales match.

The security told him, "You have to change your shirt... It’s not allowed.” They even tried to take away his phone.

Wahl said a reporter of The New York Times was also detained with him, when he was passing by, and Wahl told him about the situation.

The guards eventually let Wahl go, with the security commander apologising. Wahl said even a FIFA representative apologised to him.

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