This year, with the FIFA World Cup set to go ahead in Qatar, we are calling on our community and corporate allies to show their support for LGBTQI communities in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

International human rights groups have raised serious concerns about the human rights situation in Qatar, in particular around the abuse and exploitation of the migrant workforce and discrimination against women and LGBTQI people. And Qatar is no outlier in the MENA region. Most countries in the region have laws that criminalise same-sex relations. Even in the countries that don’t, “morality laws” are used to target LGBTQI people.

In this context, there are no LGBTQI organisations in Qatar. However, there are LGBTQI organisations working across MENA to advance equality. These organisations need the long-term support and investment from our community and corporate allies globally.