Melanie C slams FIFA decision to hold World Cup in Qatar: ‘It’s greed’
David Beckham, are you listening?
Melanie C has spoken out against FIFA’s decision to host the 2022 football World Cup in Qatar.
Gay sex in the Middle Eastern country is punishable by the death penalty.
The ‘I Turn To You’ singer and long-celebrated LGBTQ ally dismisses the choice of host country as “bullshit” and about “greed”, in an interview with the Attitude Awards issue, out now.
“It’s greed. They can try and spin it that they’re there to make change, but it’s bullshit – it’s about money,” Melanie tells us.
“Obviously I’m a huge England supporter, whatever the gender,” the star also says. “But it’s hard to get fully behind it when you know where the money’s coming from.”
Melanie’s comments stand in stark contrast to the position of David Beckham, husband of her Spice Girls bandmate Victoria. Last year, the football icon signed a deal to be UK ambassador for Qatar for a reported seven-figure sum of money.
Melanie, who shot to fame in the 90s as Sporty Spice in the Spice Girls, took home the Honorary Gay gong at last week’s Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards, powered by Jaguar.
To read Mel’s full interview, click here.
“The men’s game – such a masculine, macho environment – could learn so much from the female game”
Melanie C
The 48-year-old meanwhile said of the Women’s Euro Final in July: “The Lionesses’ performance on and off the pitch was incredible. It was interesting how many of the girls are out and gay.”
She furthermore added: “In this country’s backward cultural way, it’s: ‘Oh, she likes football, she must be gay.’ Well, some are, some aren’t. But the ones that are, are out.
“The men’s game – different, I know; it’s such a masculine, macho environment, steeped in tradition – could learn so much from the female game.”
Earlier this year, LGBTQ activist and San Francisco-based Qatari Dr Nas Mohamed invited David Beckham to sign his petition calling on gay sex to be decriminalised in his home country, saying: “He has a massive platform. He can take this petition and say: ‘I agree with it. I believe LGBT rights are human rights everywhere.”
The Attitude Awards issue is out now.
Check out Melanie C’s acceptance speech from the 2022 Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards below: