Lewis Hamilton has proven once again that he’s a bonafide ally, wearing a helmet on Friday emblazoned with the rainbow flag at the Qatar Grand Prix where homosexuality is illegal.
Not only is homosexuality is illegal in Qatar, it is punishable by a jail sentence of up to seven years and there is also the real risk of the death penalty. Qatar has also been heavily condemned for its treatment of migrant workers, with allegations of worker exploitation and abuse in its preparations for next year’s FIFA World Cup coming to light.
Hamilton’s helmet actually featured the Pride Progress Flag which has been redesigned to be a more inclusive version of the traditional rainbow flag whilst also featuring with the words “We Stand Together.”
The flag features additional black and brown stripes to highlight the oppression of people of colour, as well as pink and blue stripes for the trans flag and a purple circle on a yellow background representing intersex people.
British intersex activist and columnist Valentino Vecchietti finalised the version seen on Hamilton’s helmet and said of him wearing it: “It means everything. I can’t express what an amazing, massive, massive thing Lewis Hamilton has done. And I feel emotional talking about it, because we are so hidden and stigmatised as a population.”
The oil rich nation of Qatar has been beset with accusations of human rights violations with regards to the building of the infrastructure needed to host the World Cup and has ALSO been hit with accusations of bribery when it came to securing votes in order to win the honour of hosting the Football World Cup in 2022in the first place.
We stand together. pic.twitter.com/F3hKZwVLyN
— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) November 19, 2021