Thread by @simonjedge

I've read some exaggerations re law on homosexuality in the Gulf state of Qatar so I thought I'd check for myself. I consulted an expert authority, which classifies Qatar as a Zone 3 country (out of 3), where sexual acts between people of the same sex are illegal. More details 👇

Sexual acts between people of the same sex are illegal
according to the Articles 296 (3) and 285 of Qatar's Penal Code. Punishments include imprisonment for between one and five years.

Qatar also runs Sharia courts, where technically it is possible that Muslim men could face the death penalty for same-sex sexual activity, although there is no record of this actually happening. That means Qatar isn't Saudi Arabia or Iran. But it's not exactly gay-friendly.

Employment discrimination based on sexual orientation is not prohibited. The government can prevent LGBT people from entering or deport LGBT people from Qatar on the grounds of their sexual orientation and gender identity.

The expert authority I consulted says: 'Given the restrictive legislative framework in Qatar in relation to sexual orientation and gender identity, any LGBT-related activities in the region should be approached with caution.'

And who was that expert authority? That briefing was written – drumroll – by @stonewalluk. You can read it for yourself here.
stonewall.org.uk/system/files/g…

Perhaps Stonewall's CEO @Nancy_M_K should have read her own briefing before she tweeted this paean of praise to the broadcaster Al-Jazeera, on whose Upfront programme she and her trans rights guru Christine Burns have just appeared.

NB Al-Jazeera isn't actually Qatar's state broadcaster. That would be the Qatar Media Corporation. But Al-Jazeera was launched with a start-up loan from the Emir of Qatar, and its chairman is Sheikh Hamad bin Thamer bin Mohammed Al Thani, a member of Qatar's ruling family.

So make no mistake, Al-Jazeera has the blessing of the Emir, who is effectively the Qatari state, and it almost certainly couldn't exist otherwise. So it is, on any estimation, pretty jaw-dropping that the CEO of Stonewall clearly implies she prefers Al-Jazeera to the BBC.

Now I'm not going to say 'Stonewall is funded by the Emir of Qatar' or 'Stonewall has close links to homophobic Gulf states'. That would be quite wrong – and I won't lower myself to the same level as the shameless liars who say the @ALLIANCELGB is 'funded by the US far right'.

But I will say that this is a staggering error of judgement by @Nancy_M_K. And perhaps it will be a game-changing one too.

Shamefully, an entire tribe of Stonewall's gay male cheerleaders don't seem to give a fuck about women's rights or the appalling abuse of vulnerable children carried out in the name of gender ideology.

But maybe, just maybe, this ludicrous tribute to a broadcaster intricately linked to one of the world's most homophobic states – ON STONEWALL'S OWN INDEX – will make them sit up and pay attention at last: Stonewall 👏doesn't 👏care 👏about 👏gay 👏rights.