USMNT adds LGBTQ+ flag logo ahead of Qatar World Cup
In a show of solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community, the United States Men's National Soccer Team adopted the colors of the pride flag for its logo ahead of the controversial World Cup hosted in Qatar.
The logo will be prominent at the team's training facility and media work room.
In 2010, FIFA awarded Qatar the World Cup in a decision human rights groups blasted. Per Amnesty.org, migrant workers are victims of rampant labor abuse and women "face discrimination in law and practice." Same-sex sexual conduct is a crime with a sentence of up to seven years.
Per Al Jazeera, earlier this year the host city's Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said that everyone is welcome to the biggest sporting event in the world.
Al Thani added, "all we ask is that fans respect our laws, just as we are expected to respect yours when we visit you."
The logo redesign is a small but significant statement on the values of the USMNT, that the human rights violations in Qatar are not a reflection of what the team believes.
No one expected the team to do much in support of the LGBTQ+ community ahead of the World Cup. It would have been far easier to stay silent. They understood that wasn't an option.
No matter what the outcome is for the men's national team, the team's act of solidarity should fill us all with pride.
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