LGBTQIA+ Ally Harry Kane Scores Record-Breaking Goals For Tottenham Hotspurs
Harry Kane is a striker for the English football team Tottenham Hotspur. He is the England national team’s captain and played in the FIFA World Cup in 2022 where he made a point to vocally support LGBTQIA+ rights. Along with other players and national captains, he planned on wearing rainbow wristbands to signal his support. However, the wearing of One Love and rainbow symbols was explicitly banned by FIFA, with threats to penalise whole teams so, understandably, Kane’s plan feel through, but he remains an ally in the global LGBTQIA+ community’s eyes.
On Monday, February 6, Harry Kane competed against Manchester and managed to break Tottenham’s all-time record score with a goal early in the game, reports The Guardian.
A RISING STAR
Kane is known to most as a soccer star on the rise with his recent game against Manchester City putting him at 267; only a short jump to that of Jimmy Greaves, reports The Guardian. Throughout his career playing for Spurs and England (two teams who’ve reportedly shown no likelihood of winning pots), Kane has been a model of hard work and achievement.
What makes those who aren’t engaged with football sit up and pay attention, though, is Kane’s advocacy and allyship for marginalised groups – specifically for LGBTQIA+ individuals.
When FIFA announced the World Cup would be held in Qatar in 2022, gay rights activists around the world protested. The small nation has come under scrutiny for its alleged abuses of human rights.
According to The Guardian, the One Love campaign aimed to have prominent players don rainbow armbands to show their support for LGBTQIA+ individuals and Harry Kane was one such player to step forward for this. “Wearing the armband together on behalf of our teams will send a clear message when the world is watching,” he says.
Despite these intentions, Qatari officials made stringent protocols banning any rainbow memorabilia and FIFA later threatened sanctions against teams who flouted those rules. Despite this, Kane wore an approved armband that read “no discrimination” instead.
Congratulations Harry Kane – football star and LGBTQIA+ ally.
