BBC Reporter Wears OneLove Armband After European Teams Refuse
BBC presenter Alex Scott supported the LGBTQ+ community at the Qatar World Cup by wearing a OneLove armband.
Due to the country’s anti-LGBTQ+ laws, captains from England, Denmark, Switzerland, Netherlands, and Germany announced that they would be wearing the rainbow OneLove armband in support of the community.
However, according to Gay Times, on November 21, the teams announced that they would no longer wear the band due to possible sanctions from FIFA. “FIFA has been very clear that it will impose sporting sanctions if our captains wear the armbands on the field of play,” they said in a statement. “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.”
While the teams may have backed out of the LGBTQ+ inclusive gesture, another football professional ended up wearing the OneLove band in the Khalifa International Stadium.
During the BBC press coverage of England’s first match, former Lioness Alex Scott bravely wore the rainbow piece on her arm.
At the end of her segment, Kelly Somers, Scott’s co-host, shined a light on the former Arsenal player, stating: “Alex Scott is wearing the One Love armband. As [England Manager] Gareth Southgate confirmed to me, the England players will not be wearing that. Instead, they will be wearing the FIFA armband.”
LGBTQ+ football fans took to social media to praise Scott for wearing the statement piece. One fan wrote: “Alex Scott proving she has more balls than England and all of the other teams who backtracked on their decision to wear a #OneLove armband, what a queen!”
Another person tweeted: “Well done, Alex Scott. Equality is not an opinion, it’s a human right.”
The BBC also commended Scott for her brave LGBTQ+ demonstration, writing: “England, Wales, and other European nations aren’t wearing the OneLove armband. But ex-England international Alex Scott is inside the Khalifa International Stadium.”
Read related myGwork articles here:
England Expect To Be Fined For Harry Kane Wearing “One Love” Armband At World Cup
England Footballer Harry Kane To Wear Anti-Discrimination Armband During World Cup
England Footballer Harry Kane Backs LGBTQ+ Fans Ahead Of Qatar World Cup
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