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| Qatar World Cup: Laura McAllister told to remove rainbow bucket hat | Qatar World Cup: Laura McAllister told to remove rainbow bucket hat |
| (38 minutes later) | |
| Ex-Wales footballer Laura McAllister says Qatari security asked her to remove a "rainbow wall" bucket cap | Ex-Wales footballer Laura McAllister says Qatari security asked her to remove a "rainbow wall" bucket cap |
| Ex-Wales footballer Laura McAllister says Qatari security asked her to remove a "rainbow wall" bucket cap | Ex-Wales footballer Laura McAllister says Qatari security asked her to remove a "rainbow wall" bucket cap |
| An ex-Wales football captain has described being asked to remove her "rainbow wall" bucket hat as she entered a World Cup stadium in Qatar. | An ex-Wales football captain has described being asked to remove her "rainbow wall" bucket hat as she entered a World Cup stadium in Qatar. |
| Laura McAllister, a gay woman and past Fifa Council candidate, said she was told she could not wear the hat for Wales' opener against the USA. | Laura McAllister, a gay woman and past Fifa Council candidate, said she was told she could not wear the hat for Wales' opener against the USA. |
| Ms McAllister said she then smuggled the hat into the stadium. | Ms McAllister said she then smuggled the hat into the stadium. |
| Fifa - world football's governing body, which is responsible for the tournament - has been asked to comment. | Fifa - world football's governing body, which is responsible for the tournament - has been asked to comment. |
| The rainbow version of Welsh fan hats shows support for the LGBTQ+ community. | The rainbow version of Welsh fan hats shows support for the LGBTQ+ community. |
| The Football Association of Wales (FAW) said it was "extremely disappointed" by reports that supporters and FAW staff members were asked to remove and discard their "rainbow wall" bucket hats before entry to the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium. | |
| "The FAW has collated information on these alleged incidents and will be addressing this matter directly with Fifa today (Tuesday)," it said. | |
| 'Heavy handed' | |
| Video footage taken of the incident appears to show officers telling her to remove the hat. | Video footage taken of the incident appears to show officers telling her to remove the hat. |
| "It was pretty heavy handed," Ms McAllister told BBC Breakfast. | "It was pretty heavy handed," Ms McAllister told BBC Breakfast. |
| "As we were queuing to go into the stadium we'd heard that there'd been issues with some people in front of us who'd been asked to take off their hats to go into the stadium. | "As we were queuing to go into the stadium we'd heard that there'd been issues with some people in front of us who'd been asked to take off their hats to go into the stadium. |
| "So fortunately a few of us further back in the queue knew what was likely to happen," she said. | "So fortunately a few of us further back in the queue knew what was likely to happen," she said. |
| "And sure enough as we went through security we were told by some of the stewards that we couldn't enter the stadium wearing our rainbow hats." | "And sure enough as we went through security we were told by some of the stewards that we couldn't enter the stadium wearing our rainbow hats." |
| Tears and emotion as Wales return to World Cup | Tears and emotion as Wales return to World Cup |
| 'Football is leaving behind its LGBT fans' | 'Football is leaving behind its LGBT fans' |
| 'I don't want to worry about being killed' | 'I don't want to worry about being killed' |
| She said "right away" a few officials gathered round her and told her that she had to take the hat off. | She said "right away" a few officials gathered round her and told her that she had to take the hat off. |
| "We were told it was a regulation - clearly I work in football, I work with Uefa, so I know the regulations - so I asked which regulation it applied to and we weren't told that." | "We were told it was a regulation - clearly I work in football, I work with Uefa, so I know the regulations - so I asked which regulation it applied to and we weren't told that." |
| Ms McAllister said the hat was "snuck" into the stadium after the incident. | |
| "I certainly wasn't going to give it up. It's an important symbol of everything that we're about in Welsh football at the moment and hopefully the wider nation. | |
| It comes after national team captains, including Wales' Gareth Bale, were told not to wear One Love armbands. Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar. | It comes after national team captains, including Wales' Gareth Bale, were told not to wear One Love armbands. Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar. |
| "We're here to live our own values as a nation and with Wales being in the World Cup for the first time in six decades, it's important to show what our country's all about, and that is about inclusion and tolerance and diversity," Ms McAllister said. | "We're here to live our own values as a nation and with Wales being in the World Cup for the first time in six decades, it's important to show what our country's all about, and that is about inclusion and tolerance and diversity," Ms McAllister said. |
| Laura McAllister said the response she faced from security was "heavy handed" | Laura McAllister said the response she faced from security was "heavy handed" |
| The incident comes despite previous assurances that fans would be allowed to wear them. | The incident comes despite previous assurances that fans would be allowed to wear them. |
| "We need to speak for the LGBT people at home who didn't feel able to come to Doha because of the regime and its position on gay rights," Ms McAllister said. | "We need to speak for the LGBT people at home who didn't feel able to come to Doha because of the regime and its position on gay rights," Ms McAllister said. |
| "We're all horribly compromised by being here so make no mistake, so by being here we also need to make sure we don't compromise on our values." | "We're all horribly compromised by being here so make no mistake, so by being here we also need to make sure we don't compromise on our values." |
| She stressed that Fifa had said it would allow the rainbow symbol in the stadium. | |
| "It was the complete opposite of that," she said. "It was contrary to everything we were being told to expect really, and that was what was so disappointing." | |
| "If Fifa calls for an inclusive World Cup then we need to include everyone in that," she added. "It was quite intimidating. I'm experienced enough to cope with it but if it had been a young person, a young girl who hadn't been prepared for that, it would have been a very unpleasant and intimidating experience." | |
| A group of her friends had rainbow wrist bands removed, she said, and another friend had his rainbow laces removed from his shoes. | |
| The bucket hat has become the must-have accessory for Wales fans over the past decade. | The bucket hat has become the must-have accessory for Wales fans over the past decade. |
| Tracy Brown, pictured (second from left) with fellow members of Rainbow Wall, Wales' LGBTQ+ supporters' group | Tracy Brown, pictured (second from left) with fellow members of Rainbow Wall, Wales' LGBTQ+ supporters' group |
| The yellow, green and red hats are worn in their thousands by the so-called Red Wall, with a rainbow version also produced. | The yellow, green and red hats are worn in their thousands by the so-called Red Wall, with a rainbow version also produced. |
| Tracy Brown from Rainbow Wall, Wales' LGBTQ+ supporters' group, told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast she was not surprised fans were asked to remove the hats. | Tracy Brown from Rainbow Wall, Wales' LGBTQ+ supporters' group, told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast she was not surprised fans were asked to remove the hats. |
| "We were all anticipating that this would actually happen," she said. | "We were all anticipating that this would actually happen," she said. |
| "Fifa have a habit of going back on their word. That started a couple of days before with the drinking issues within stadiums." | "Fifa have a habit of going back on their word. That started a couple of days before with the drinking issues within stadiums." |
| She said the threat of sanctions for individual players wearing OneLove arm bands, which promote diversity and inclusion, had put everyone in a "difficult situation". | |
| "Obviously LGBTQ+ groups were not happy with that decision and yes, we have done a lot of work with the FAW [Football Association Wales] and will continue to do work. But now we have to work out another way to be vocal for discrimination as a whole," Ms Brown said. | "Obviously LGBTQ+ groups were not happy with that decision and yes, we have done a lot of work with the FAW [Football Association Wales] and will continue to do work. But now we have to work out another way to be vocal for discrimination as a whole," Ms Brown said. |
| "This is not just about the rainbow wall, this is about discrimination for everybody. This is about all of our human rights." | "This is not just about the rainbow wall, this is about discrimination for everybody. This is about all of our human rights." |
| Meanwhile, an American journalist, Grant Wahl, said in a Tweet he was stopped for half an hour by security for wearing a rainbow-themed t-shirt. | Meanwhile, an American journalist, Grant Wahl, said in a Tweet he was stopped for half an hour by security for wearing a rainbow-themed t-shirt. |
| He was later allowed to enter the stadium perimeter, he added. | He was later allowed to enter the stadium perimeter, he added. |
| "Finally a commander came through, said I could go through, and apologised," he told the BBC. | "Finally a commander came through, said I could go through, and apologised," he told the BBC. |
| Have you been affected by the issues raised in this story? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. | Have you been affected by the issues raised in this story? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. |
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