Pantone to remove rainbow colours in new flag for Qatar World Cup

Sometimes, you just have to stand and applaud. This time we’re going to take our hats off to Pantone, the colour wizards, for their magnificent solution to get around the fact that being gay is illegal in Qatar. Just six days ago, Qatar’s World Cup ambassador, Khalid Salman, said that homosexuality is “damage in the mind” and that the people going to the Gulf country “must resect our rules” during the tournament.

So no showing of homosexuality in Qatar, then. No LGBTQ+ flags allowed. Luckily, the Pantone boffins have teamed up together with charity Stop Homophobia UK to create a new flag, known as Colours of Love, one that can be waved with all the same passion as is normal when all you want to do is support your nation and show your support for inclusion. They have taken the original rainbow flag and removed the colours, leaving only the Pantone colour codes in their place between the lines. The white flag is a beautiful representation of the rainbow colours but since that is unfortunately “haram”, as said by the ambassador, the replacement will have to do.

This is a terrific response to circumstances that should never have to exist, but at least it gives an opportunity for those deemed “damaged”. It is their frankly unimportant sexual orientation that is seemed to be so abhorrent by the country hosting the people’s tournament, so it turns to those of a more compassionate mindset to lend a helping hand.

Support across the different nations is not proving to be uncommon, with reports suggesting that out of the 32 competing nations, ten captains will wear rainbow armbands in support for gay rights, called the OneLove armband. There is even a chance they could face a FIFA sanction if they do so, as there is no official confirmation as this discriminatory move is allowed.