BBC presenter Alex Scott supported the LGBTQ+ community at the Qatar World Cup by wearing a OneLove armband.
On 20 November, the controversial tournament officially commenced, with the first match taking place between Qatar and Ecuador.
In the years leading up to the World Cup, fans, activists and football professionals have expressed concerns over its Gulf Region location due to the country’s treatment of the LGBTQ+ community.
In Qatar, homosexuality is illegal and can be punished by penalties including flogging, imprisonment and even execution.
Due to the country’s anti-LGBTQ+ laws, captains from England, Denmark, Switzerland, Netherlands, and Germany football teams announced that they would be wearing the rainbow OneLove armband in support of the community.
However on 21 November, the aforementioned 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 aforementioned teams 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.
The threat of sporting sanctions stopped Harry Kane from wearing the OneLove armband, but the legend that is Alex Scott made sure it didn’t go to waste. FIFA can’t book her either.💪 pic.twitter.com/REFjJEWEuH
— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) November 21, 2022
At the end of her segment, Scott’s co-host Kelly Somers shined a light on the former Arsenal player, stating: “As you can see, 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.”
Shortly after the clip was released, LGBTQ+ football fans flocked 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.”
The 2022 FIFA World Cup is set to continue until 18 December.
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