(RT) The United States men’s national team crest has been temporarily redesigned from its prior red, white and blue colors to instead incorporate a rainbow design, in a move designed to show solidarity with LGBT issues ahead of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
However, the new crest won’t be displayed on the team’s jerseys but rather at its training facility at Al Gharrafa SC Stadium in Ar-Rayyan.
The tournament in the Gulf state, which is due to kick off on November 20, has been hit with a torrent of criticism from various human-rights campaigners, many of whom have stated their opposition to perceived discrimination against LGBT individuals in the host country, where homosexuality remains illegal.
The US makes a statement at the World Cup in Qatar by Redesigning its crest with rainbow colors to show solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community
Rather than the usual red stripes, the new crest incorporates rainbow colors #WorldCup2022 ⚽️ #US #Qatar #MailOnline pic.twitter.com/GGfzIZoQ6w
— 🌎 Sarwar 🌐 (@ferozwala) November 14, 2022
In a bid to show its support, USA team chiefs opted to make the move – with images of the design filtering out of the team’s base on Monday.
Speaking after the unveiling, Neil Buethe, chief communications officer for the team, told the Daily Mail that the rainbow crest plays an important role in the fabric of US football.
“Our rainbow badge has an important and consistent role in the identity of US Soccer,” he said.
