Belgrave and Headrow House are the latest pubs in Leeds to cancel their showings on the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
Both sites, which are owned by Super Friendz, made a public announcement on Facebook last night, explaining that the ‘ongoing LGBTQIA+ and human rights surrounding the event’, noting that they are ‘a contradiction to the values we hold as venue[s]’.
Both Headrow House and Belgrave Music Hall will be fundraising throughout the length of the 2022 World Cup for Yorkshire MESMAC, one of the oldest and largest sexual health organisations in the country.
The full statements can be found below.
The news comes after The Key Club announced that they would no longer be showing the game, citing the ‘ongoing human rights and LGBTQ+ issues’ in the host city as the reason for the removal of the events from its schedule.
Releasing a statement on Facebook, The Key Club have said that:
“We have decided to cancel the upcoming England matches which we had planned to show at The Key Club.
“We wanted to create a safe space where people felt comfortable to watch the football, however, after careful deliberation and upon further research, we now understand it is best to cancel the upcoming events in response to the ongoing human rights and LGBTQ+ issues surrounding the host nation.
“The Key Club is committed to creating a safe, welcoming, and inclusive space and so we hope you all stand by our decision.
“As an additional mark of our support, we will be collecting donations for LGBTQ+ charities at upcoming events at The Key Club.
Yesterday, The Mustard Pot in Chapel Allerton also issued a statement yesterday, stating that “I made the wrong decision to show the World Cup and I am sorry” with all tickets refunded and an apology “to anyone we offended by announcing we would be showing it”.
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The 2022 Qatar World Cup kicks off this weekend, with the first England game due to be played on Monday 21 November 2022.
Feature Image- Unsplash
