Queer, British comic, Joe Lycett, has blasted former soccer player David Beckham for his support of Qatar.
Beckham was previously lauded for his LGBTQ allyship. However, he controversially agreed to be an ambassador for Qatar for the forthcoming World Cup. His fee is unknown but is rumored to be in the region of $12million.
Related: David Beckham gushes over Qatar in cringey new video and the responses are brutal
Qatar has a poor human rights record. It is also one of the most unfriendly places in the world for LGBTQ people. Homosexuality is punishable by prison sentences, or even death for Muslims.
Yesterday, Lycett posted a video to his social media challenging Beckham to cancel his ambassador role.
https://t.co/FqoC3hSFM8 🌈 pic.twitter.com/EPLVNwmnvV
— Joe Lycett (@joelycett) November 13, 2022
Lycett notes Beckham’s previous history as a gay ally (“You married a Spice Girl, which is the gayest thing a human being could do.”)
“You’ve always talked about football being a force for good,” notes Lycett. “With that in mind, I’m giving you a choice. If you end your relationship with Qatar, I’ll donate this ten grand [approximately $12,000] of my own money, that’s a grand for every million you’re reportedly getting, to charities that support queer people in football,” he said.
“However, if you do not, at midday next Sunday, I will throw this money into a shredder just before the opening ceremony of the World Cup, and stream it live on a website I’ve registered called BendersLikeBeckham.com.
“Not just the money, but also your status as a gay icon will be shredded.”
Lycett is known for his awareness-raising stunts
Lycett has previously identified as bisexual and pansexual. He is known for having a political edge to his comedy and has often taken on giant corporations.
In 2020, he highlighted Hugo Boss targeting small businesses with the word “Boss’ in their name. He said the fashion and perfume brand unleashed expensive lawyers on small businesses, including a small beer maker in Wales called ‘Boss Brewing’. Lycett highlighted the issues by legally changing his name to Hugo Boss for a few weeks.
Earlier this year, he made headlines when he was invited to take part in a BBC program and pretended to be rightwing, heaping praise upon beleaguered, short-lived praise on Liz Truss. Lycett’s mock praise for her only added to the ridicule she faced so soon after assuming office.
It’s hard to believe Lycett would actually shred £10,000 pounds. The money could go to good causes. Many on Twitter pleaded with him to donate the money to a charity, regardless of Beckham’s reaction.
However, just threatening to shred the money has made headlines in the UK. It also puts David Beckham in an awkward position in the days leading up to the World Cup.
Whatever happens, lots of people will be watching next Sunday to see what Lycett does with his cash.
Dua Lipa says she won’t be in Qatar
In other FIFA World Cup-related news, the singer Dua Lipa confirmed she will not be performing at the event.
Related: Dua Lipa “horrified” by homophobic remarks from collaborator, DaBaby
Lipa shared a statement on Instagram, writing: “There is currently a lot of speculation that I will be performing at the opening ceremony of the world cup in Qatar. I will not be performing and nor have I ever been involved in any negotiation to perform.
“I will be cheering England on from afar and I look forward to visiting Qatar when it has fulfilled all the human rights pledges it made when it won the right to host the World Cup.”
At the moment, getting stars to appear at the opening ceremony seems to be almost as tricky as booking acts for Trump’s inauguration back in 2017.
LumpyPillows
One has to wonder where the Beckham advisors where. I know they are greedy piggies, but this was a rather poor call on their part.
Vince
Dude congratulations. You’re now an official ambassador to a country that kills people for being different. Worst kind of PR you can hope for.
Hope that paycheck was worth it. If his Sponsors start dropping out then probably not.
Jim
David Beckham knew what he was doing and put money over principal
Squeak
principle
Vince
I try to imagine if this was another group of people that they were imprisoning and executing. Say for being black, Jewish, or whatever. They’d at least be treated like Pariah’s. Unfortunetly gays are still an easy and accepted minority to shit on.
It doesn’t matter if it has the cover of religion. You really have to take a stand against evil.
Kangol2
Cf. Quantum’s comment below. It’s not just LGBTQ people; Qatar is a human rights nightmare!
quantum
If you can name a vulnerable group, they are being victimized in Qatar.
Black people: “Geoffrey, a Kenyan workers’ rights activist, told Middle East Eye he was arrested in a night raid by Qatari police, held for eight days and then deported in June. Before his deportation, he had been working as an investigator for Equidem, a London-based NGO investigating rights abuses.”
And anti-semitism is rampant in Qatari media, even if the government’s stance has softened in the past few years. (Just this year, after international pressure, they removed anty-semitic statements from state-approved textbooks.)
Basically, it sucks for everyone in Qatar who isn’t a rich, straight, Qatari male.
DCguy
Saudi Arabia and Quatar, we shouldn’t be dealing with either of those countries if at all avoidable.
Kangol2
Much of the world has to kiss their tucheses because of their oil!
Man About Town
I admire Lycett’s convictions, but I sure hope he doesn’t shred all that cheddar!
inbama
We should be developing nuclear energy and stop enabling oil-rich human rights abusers whether they are Muslim or Russian.
SDR94103
he is NOT an ally.
Joshooeerr
Lycett is utterly brilliant. And I’ll bet he has some kind of twist planned, whatever happens.
trell
Joe Lycett is more a comic activist than a comedian, but an absolute genius, eloquent and bloody hilarious. Americans may not have heard the famous ‘Countdown’ parking ticket dispute, but it’s well worth a google.
I’m in agreement, though. Joe shredding all of that money to prove a point, is not going to stop David Beckham from keeping his filthy lucre. It may give the whole situation a bigger platform on the media side of things, but if Beckham keeps the money, he keeps the money. Joe loses £10k and nothing else changes in the grand scheme of things…..
…..now, Beckham coming forward and saying ‘That 10 million I got from Qatar…..is ALL going to LGBTQ+ charities!!’ THAT would be a kick in the teeth for Qatar!!
We can only hope…
cantouchthis
:s
How the hell would David Beckham giving away money to a gay charity hurt Qatar? That makes no sense.
Kangol2
I get what Lycett is aiming to do but why not shred play money, i.e. symbolically shred those pounds sterling, and then donate £12,000 or even double that to LGBTQ organizations that help LGBTQ people in the Middle East, like the Underground Rainbow or OutRight Action (formerly IGLHRC)?
cantouchthis
You people have to make up your mind.
It’s either they don’t know play at all or they are all in. Right now they are all going to play and participate, but you want to yell at any individual person who makes money. News flash, they all are. Plus, it’s not david Beckham’s job to be a gay icon. I’d like to see how many people on here would stick to their (nonexistent) morals if they were given 12 million dollars.