Fashion as a political weapon.
Present in the stands of the Denmark-Tunisia match at the World Cup on Tuesday, November 22, the former Prime Minister of Denmark Helle Thorning-Schmidt did not hesitate to appear in a dress with sleeves in the colors of the arc -in sky.
An outfit seen as a provocation addressed to the host country of the competition, Qatar, where the rights of the LGBTQ+ community are flouted.
Like sex outside marriage, homosexuality is criminalized in this Gulf country.
Thus, those caught in the act can incur several years of imprisonment, or even the death penalty.
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Former Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt and her dress with rainbow sleeves during the Denmark-Tunisia match.
(Doha, November 22, 2022.) Mads Claus Rasmussen / Ritzau Scanpix / AFP
In an Instagram post shared on Wednesday, the Danish politician justifies her choice of outfit.
“I thought about whether showing up in the colors of the rainbow actually helps gay and lesbian people in Qatar.
What if it only makes things worse by hardening the Qatari government against them?
I don't know the answer, but doesn't that show us that nothing is binary, only good or only bad?
The Armband of Discord
Two days earlier, Helle Thorning-Schmidt was already talking about her after posting a photo on Instagram, where we saw her in a chick yellow suit, accessorized with a “One Love” armband against discrimination.
Enough to rekindle the controversy around this piece of fabric, which has been tearing apart bodies and teams participating in the 2022 World Cup for a few weeks.
Indeed, seven European teams (Netherlands, Germany, England, Belgium, Denmark, Wales, Switzerland) had initially planned to wear this inclusive armband (launched in 2020 by the Netherlands Football Federation and symbol of struggle against discrimination).
Before backtracking on Monday in the face of the threat of sporting sanctions from Fifa, the latter arguing that "only captains' armbands are authorized".
But in Denmark, this last minute abandonment does not pass.
For her part, Helle Thorning-Schmidt tempers: "I support the choice of the players not to risk sanctions, which could hinder their progress in the tournament and I think that everyone should agree that this is a real dilemma, she argues on Instagram.
Honestly, I don't understand the bad press the Danish team and the Danish FA are getting at the moment.
They tried so hard to do the right thing and they are so isolated at Fifa.
The rejection of the rainbow
Helle Thorning-Schmidt was allowed to enter the Qatari stadium with her “One Love” armband – or did she not have it when she went through security.
Indeed, other personalities before her have been refused entry with similar paraphernalia.
Former Welsh player Laura McAllister told ITV News in particular that she had to take off her rainbow hat to watch the United States-Wales match (1-1) on Monday.
“While we were queuing, we heard that people who were wearing a rainbow bucket hat had to take it off,” the footballer told the British channel.
While the American journalist from CBS Sports, Grant Wahl, told him on Twitter that he had been detained by security personnel.
In question: his rainbow t-shirt.
