World champion race car driver Lewis Hamilton will wear an LGBTQ flag on his helmet for the Grand Prix in Qatar on November 21.
Her new headpiece displays the Progress Pride flag, which includes black and brown stripes honoring queer communities of color, as well as pale blue and pink to honor the transgender community. The back of the helmet reads “We stand together.”
“Equal rights is a serious issue,” said Hamilton in Formula One press conference thursday, The 36-year-old British racer, who is black, has been very vocal about human rights issues and has devoted much of her platform to speaking out against human rights violations.
Sunday’s race will be the first Formula One tournament in Qatar after the country signed a 10-year deal with the racing league, according to the country. bbc sport, However, the ensuing race has raised concerns over human rights and equality in the Arab nation.
Hamilton said on Thursday, “I think as soon as these games go to these places, they are duty bound to raise awareness about these issues and these places that need to be investigated and the media to speak up about these things.” Is required.”
Qatar has been the center of many human rights violations. Homosexuality is illegal in the country and can even lead to jail. Courts governed by religious law can technically sentence Muslim people to death in homosexual relationships, but there is no evidence that the sentence has been used, The Independent told earlier this year.
The Middle Eastern country is also facing criticism for its treatment of migrant workers. Overseas hotel workers preparing for the 2022 World Cup work long shifts for less than $2 an hour, with little or no time off. Guardian reported on Thursday.
“I think if we’re going to be in these places, we need to step up the profile of the situation,” Hamilton said at the conference.
In July, the champion racer called for anti-LGBTQ laws in Hungary ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix. Hamilton called the laws “cowardly” and “unacceptable” and urged Hungarian citizens to vote in the upcoming referendum, insider informed of.
Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have raised concerns over the so-called washing gameWhen a country attempts to use sports or major sporting events to distract the international community from human rights violations and abuses.
Amnesty International called on Qatar’s government to address its record of human rights violations ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the world’s premier football tournament.
“FIFA must act now to ensure that the 2022 World Cup is a tournament to be proud of, not tainted by labor exploitation,” Stephen Cockburn, the organization’s deputy director of global issues, said in a statement. statement earlier this year.
Formula One, a. In statement on its website, Said it is “committed to respecting internationally recognized human rights in its operations globally.”
The Racing League also outlined the steps it will take to ensure that it is respecting human rights in its activities, including respecting the rights of its employees and monitoring the impact of its incidents.
“There’s a long way to go,” Hamilton said.