A gay Australian footballer said he would not attend the 25th FIFA World Cup, and a Ghanaian film was impacted by an anti-LGBTQ bill.
Gay Footballer Speaks On World Cup Location
Josh Cavallo, an out Australian footballer, said that he would not attend the 25th FIFA World Cup, set to be held in Saudi Arabia in 2034.
“I honestly wouldn’t feel safe,” said Cavallo in an interview with the Daily Mirror. “It’s sad to say that, but even in my football career, there [are] certain countries I will not go to and play club football or with the national team.”
According to Pink News, it is illegal to be gay in Saudi Arabia and there’s a death penalty as punishment for homosexuality.
Cavallo continued, “To know that I’m limited in certain countries, because they don’t approve of how I love or how I live my life, is quite saddening.”
Ghanaian Film Impacted By Anti-LGBTQ Bill
Film director Joewackle J Kusi. Photo via africanofilter.org.
A Ghanaian film that features a queer main character was wrapping up filming when the anti-LGBTQ bill passed in through Ghana’s parliament. The bill stated that those involved in the “wilful promotion, sponsorship or support of LGBTQ+ activities” will face jail sentences of up to five years.
According to The Guardian, the film’s director, Joewackle J Kusi, said the bill forced him to cut the screening short to just one private screening for prominent art and film figures. Kusi is unsure if his film will ever reach a wider audience.
“We considered that it was safer to just have one night. We didn’t go big because it didn’t feel safe to screen a film with a queer character in Ghana around the time this bill was passed,” said Kusi.
The film centers around Kwamena, a young man who moves away from home because of family friction over his sexuality. After the sudden death of his father, the 30-year-old queer man returns home to Sekondi, in the country’s south-west.
“I was nervous, I was anxious because of the bill. The safety of my cast and crew kept me up at night,” said Kusi in an interview with The Guardian.
