Qatar rated as worst Muslim country on the LGBTQ+ Danger Index

[David Paul Appell]

Just came across a Guardian piece published a few weeks ago with some interesting findings from something called the LGBTQ+ Danger Index, which ranks the world's 150 most-visited countries using eight factors, including legalized same-sex marriage, worker protection and whether, based on Gallup poll findings, it is a good place to live.

Well, you might expect almost any Islamic country to get an F grade. But despite its aggressive attempts to depict itself as modern and forward thinking for the Muslim world, I was extremely surprised to see this index gives Qatar the lowest number - worse even then the likes of Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Sudan - and indeed the second worst in the entire world after Nigeria. The comment attached summarizes the situation: "Any homosexual acts will result in one to three years in prison, flogging, or death penalty under Sharia law." Does this make it dangerous for gay visitors? Generally not, it would seem; the death penalty applies to Muslims only, and it hasn't apparently ever been enforced. And state owned Al-Jazeera reports openly about gay rights - but only on its English service, and about the matter abroad; within the country, LGBT content remains censored. In other words, contradictory. We can expect the matter to receive even more attention in the runup to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, with concerns about safety for both players and fans, and declarations of support for LGBT rights from some players and teams. 

Should be interesting, to say the least....