JAKARTA - The figure of David Beckham and his brilliant career in the world of soccer is an open secret. However, one thing that has never been separated from Beckham, but not many people realize is that it is related to the LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender) community.
The former captain of the England national team is very close to LGBT people. He was even named a gay icon in 2007 while doing a photoshoot for the Armani brand's underwear campaign. He said he had no qualms about showing his feminine side after appearing macho in the ad.
“I feel very honored to have the nickname 'gay icon'. Maybe it's like the fact that I like to look at myself, I like to look smart and neat", David told Radio 2.
The image of a soccer player is manly, brave, or brave. Beckham's presence that broke those stereotypes was a change and he became the first footballer to open up about LGBT issues.
David, who is Victoria Adams' husband also has no qualms about accepting interviews with gay magazines or talking about his gay fans - one of Beckham's large fan communities.
Embracing the LGBT Community
“Before David Beckham came along, LGBT was taboo, but he changed everything. He is open with gay fans, saying that he is happy with the status of a gay icon and happy when his wife embraces it", said journalist Chas Newkey-Burken reported from CNN.
He said that no soccer player wanted to talk about LGBT. There is a long silence about homosexuals in soccer, even if only in the BBC documentary, Britain's Gay Footballer.
According to the documentary, no soccer player has announced as gay 30 years after Justin Fashanu, the British soccer player who publicly admitted to being gay in 1990.
Justin Fashanu was Britain's first male soccer player to come out as gay while still playing. In 1998 he took his own life. Today he has been inducted into the National Football Museum Hall of Fame. ❤ #bbcfootball pic.twitter.com/7x7JnrNjt2
- BBC Sport (@BBCSport) February 19, 2020
“David also changed the way he saw soccer players. Basically, he's handsome, but he pays a lot of attention to his appearance and this has never happened before".
Since Beckham expressed his support for the LGBT community, there have been several athletes who have begun to come out as LGBT. However, even if Beckham embraces the LGBT community, soccer still feels taboo and has difficulties with the issue of homophobia. One of the cases that occurred was when American soccer player, Robbie Rogers decided to retire shortly after claiming to be gay.
Apart from being close to LGBT people, David also looks fashionable - something that rarely happens in the world of soccer. In an interview, Beckham told the story. In his teenage years, he was given the choice between wearing a suit or wearing pants below the knee, namely a knickerbocker with long socks and ballet shoes. "And I chose ballet and knickerbocker shoes", he told the BBC.
"He was certainly one of the first celebrities to get rid of the stigma in the quest for grooming that was previously thought to be only for women", said Burken.
Of course, many people think Beckham looks suitable because of his athletic body. But in fact, Beckham has a desire to try new things - including the type of clothing he likes.
Qatar Ambassador for the 2022 World Cup
The concerns of LGBT soccer fans began when FIFA declared the 2022 World Cup to be held in Qatar. It's no secret that this country is strongly against LGBT.
In 2010, when received criticism, Sepp Blatter who served as FIFA President responded with, “I can say they (LGBT) should refrain from sexual activity (in Qatar). We live in a world of freedom and I believe when the World Cup is held in Qatar in 2022, there will be no problems", he told The Guardian.
Furthermore, Blatter said that soccer has no restrictions on anything. At that time he considered too much worry for the competition that was only being held 12 years from now.
"Whether it's politics, religion, we don't want racism and we know who the artist is, and nobody wants discrimination. We just want this game to be for all people and all cultures and this is what we will do in 2022".
In 2013, the Gulf Cooperative Countries (GCC) made a proposal to create a test to prohibit gay foreigners from coming to Qatar to watch the World Cup. But since this idea was criticized by soccer fans, the GCC said this proposal came from Kuwait, not from Qatar.
One year before the event, the election of Beckham as the 'Face of Qatar' or Qatar's Ambassador for the 2022 World Cup was again criticized by fans because Beckham was a gay icon. Qatar is known to strictly prohibit and even punish people who are 'caught' for being gay.
David Beckham 'signs £ 10m deal to become face of Qatar', one of the most dangerous places in the world to be gay https://t.co/pfLMjq3JlE
- PinkNews (@PinkNews) February 8, 2021
Because it's illegal, anyone who gets caught for being gay in Qatar can be sentenced to up to three years and sentenced to death after being convicted. Qatar also prohibits any campaign regarding the welfare of LGBT people in the country.
Fans have asked if Beckham has shed his nickname for this job. Moreover, David received £ 10 million for being Qatar's Ambassador for the 2022 World Cup.
Earlier this year, the Qatari government reportedly allowed the LGBT flag to fly during the World Cup. However, the LGBT community asked Qatar to accept their existence first.
Despite this criticism, the COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing and threatens to postpone the 2022 World Cup. Meanwhile, neither Qatar nor David Beckham has responded to criticism from netizens.
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