British minister tells gay World Cup fans to ‘be respectful’

LONDON (AP) — British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly is facing criticism after telling gay soccer fans heading to the World Cup in Qatar that they should show some “compromise” and “be respectful of the host nation.” The comments were quickly disavowed by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s office. A senior figure in the opposition Labour party called them “shockingly tone deaf.” Homosexuality is criminalized in Qatar and Cleverly was asked about the issue in the wake of a British activist holding a one-man protest accusing the country of jailing members of the LGBTQ community.