The Qatar World Cup kicks off this week, with the U.S. team facing Wells in their first match, and while they've been actively preparing for the tournament, they also made a high-profile show of support for the LGBTQ community on Monday.
Team USA has placed a rainbow-themed logo at its training facility and in its media studio, featuring seven rainbow-colored bars under the dark blue letters USA, as part of the team's 2020 Be The Change initiative to galvanize social action on this issue.
The acronym LGBTQ stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender, Doubtful, and the above communities are represented by the rainbow flag, but same-sex relationships are illegal in Qatar. United States
the national team
Coach Gregg Berhalter said: "When we're on the world stage, when we come to a place like Qatar, it's important to bring awareness to the issues and that's what Be The Change is all about. We have to focus on social issues not only in the United States, but also abroad. Qatar has made progress, but there is still room for improvement.
Many players have expressed concerns about the rights of fans who travel to the World Cup, especially LGBTQ individuals and women, who are discriminated against under Qatari law, according to the organization. However, U.S. team spokesman Neil Buethe said the team will not wear the rainbow armband during the World Cup, but the U.S. team will show the spirit on other occasions when they have the chance.
