As people have been detained or confiscated for rainbow items, this tool shows LGBTQ solidarity in Qatar.
A Brazilian magazine wants to help fans support LGBTQ rights in Qatar, where the FIFA World Cup is taking place and being gay is illegal(Opens in a new tab), punishable by up to three years in prison. But protesting and showing your alliance through rainbow shirts, flags, or any sort of rainbow-colored attire has proven difficult; although FIFA said last week that such items will be allowed in stadiums, many have(Opens in a new tab) faces detention(Opens in a new tab) and confiscation of property(Opens in a new tab).
The solution? Augmented reality.
The Football Magazine Corner(Opens in a new tab) decided to create a new AR tool for fans attending World Cup matches in the capital city of Doha. Using a Snapchat filter, fans can carry any FIFA-approved flag or fabric into stadiums, which are digitally transformed to look like the Pride flag.
The free tool is available to anyone, simply by searching for the “Pride Nation” lens on Snapchat. It is also the name of the campaign. The filter code can be seen and scanned at the end of Corner’s video(Opens in a new tab).
“(We) believe football is for everyone and we will always stand up for human rights. This is why this campaign was born,” said Fernando Martinho, Editor-in-Chief and Founder of Corner, also stressing the importance of the right to protest without risk of punishment. Martinho says the Corner team looked for a way for fans to protest peacefully, avoiding “violence or even imprisonment”.
All sorts of protests covered this year’s FIFA World Cup. Football players and fans have protested against host country Qatar, which has come under scrutiny for its history of human rights abuses(Opens in a new tab)and FIFA itself, football’s governing body accused of suppressing political and personal expression.
A number of these protests were aimed at supporting LGBTQ rights in Qatar. Some have been banned or silenced: at the end of November, several American and Welsh supporters were refused entry to stadiums for wearing rainbow-colored jerseys.(Opens in a new tab), while others were ordered to hide these items from view. FIFA recently said it had received ‘assurances’ from the authorities in Qatar that these items would now be allowed in stadiums.(Opens in a new tab)but there are still reports of people(Opens in a new tab) targeted by security guards and prevented from doing so.
FIFA has also banned football players from wearing OneLove armbands(Opens in a new tab) While playing. These rainbow-colored groups are recognized symbols of solidarity and alliance for the queer community. Seven European football teams have been forced to abandon their plans(Opens in a new tab) to wear these bands during the tournament, with FIFA allegedly threatening the teams with sanctions(Opens in a new tab) and disciplinary measures.
