Joe Lycett has stated that if David Beckham does not cancel his multimillion-pound arrangement with Qatar to promote the 2022 World Cup in one week, he would put £10,000 of his own money in a shredder.
In issuing the challenge, the comedian stated that if Beckham agreed to break relations with the World Cup host, the money would be donated to charity, but if not, the footballer’s “status as a gay icon would be shredded” along with the cash in a livestream next Sunday before the opening ceremony.
Beckham, who has consistently championed LGBT fans and players, will earn up to £150 million as an ambassador for the Qatar World Cup, despite the country’s ban on same-sex unions and worries over its human rights record.
Human Rights Watch discovered LGBT individuals were being held without trial – in one case for two months in solitary confinement – and viciously and sexually attacked under “morality” rules as recently as September of this year.
Lycett begins a video released on social media and the website benderslikebeckham.com by declaring, “This is a message to David Beckham. I consider you, along with Kim Woodburn and Monty Don, to be a gay icon. You were the first premiership footballer to do shoots with gay magazines like Attitude, to speak openly about your gay fans, and you married a Spice Girl which is the gayest thing a human being can do.”
He cited Beckham’s World Cup promotion arrangement with Qatar, which he described as “one of the worst places in the world to be gay.”
He said: “If you end your relationship with Qatar I will donate 10 grand of my own money to charities that support queer people in football.
“However, if you do not I will throw the money into a shredder at midday next Sunday, just before the opening ceremony of the World Cup and stream it right here. Not just the money, but also your status as a gay icon will be shredded.”
“And then it turns out that he’s taking a lot of money to be an ambassador for this World Cup, and that’s incredibly disappointing.”