FIFA President Blatter Makes Bizarre Comments Regarding Anti-Gay Climate In Qater; Says Football Has No Boundaries, John Amaechi Says Blatter Blathering “Archaic” And “Ignorant”

FIFA, the governing body of soccer, is under attack after comments made by president Sepp Blatter made at a news conference in South Africa, CNN reporting that the head of the governing body of soccer was unable to keep a straight face when asked what advise gay people who want to attend the 2022 World Cup in Qater, the mainly Muslim country, awarded for the first time, the tournament, prohibiting same sex relationships by law. “I would say that they should refrain from sexual activities,” said Blatter, who, regaining his composure, went on to add that FIFA does not promote or tolerate discrimination, and that “We are living in a world of freedom and when the World Cup will be in Qater, this will be in 2022. And you can see in the Middle East the opening of this culture. It is another culture because it is another religion, but in football we have no boundaries.” John Amaechi, however, the first openly gay NBA player and gay rights advocate, said via his website that Blatter demonstrated an “archaic, Neanderthal ignorance” towards the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community and that his bizarre statements “should have been wholly unacceptable a decade ago.” Amaechi added that "Instead, with little more than an afterthought, FIFA has endorsed the marginalization of LGBT people around the world. If sport cannot serve to change society, even temporarily during the duration of an event like the World Cup, then it is little more than grown men chasing a ball and we should treat it as such." Amaechi said his comments were obviously damaging in that “Blatter's words aren't really about sex, as I can't imagine that many gay football fans would be bold enough to do it in public in Qatar. Rather, what he is really saying is 'Don't be camp, don't hold hands, don't look into each other's eyes, don't book rooms with one bed, don't have candle-lit dinners in the restaurant...' and on and on," he said. "He's really saying don't even 'look' gay, re-closet yourself and pretend the ties and love and affection you have for your partner or even some random bloke you might meet on your travels are gone for the whole time you are in Qatar."