T H E P R O U D M A R O O N S

The Proud Maroons are the football fan club that Qatar never asked for. One made up entirely of LGBTQ+ members and allies from around the world, because the country denies having any queer citizens of their own. In reality, there are many, forced into silence and facing persecution for living their truths.

During the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, we teamed up with Dr. Nas Mohammad, a Qatari-American who fled his country and started the Alwan Foundation in the US, to create a football supporter's group that stood in solidarity with Qatar's LGBTQ+ community. Because every national team has a support group, and many have LGBTQ+ factions, we created our own to ironically root for Qatar's national team, locally nicknamed as "the Maroons" in reference to their flag. When they scored, we spammed social media with our love, encouraging our members and partners to celebrate in every bold way possible, from rainbow flags to drag performances to kiss selfies. By making our LGBTQ+ fan club the loudest fan club on social Qatar had, we were able to spread our message about the lack of representation and rights queer Qataris had in their own country (while upsetting a lot of homophobes).

Dozens of organizations across Europe, South America, and Australia reached out to join our cause, from non-profits to fellow football supporters' groups, and even current and former footballers. In turn, we raised funds for the Alwan Foundation to advance their efforts conducting research and support for LGBTQ+ people across the Gulf region. The project also supported and gave a platform to the first report on LGBTQ+ persecution in Qatar, in partnership with the Human Rights Watch, and the presence on social media led to dozens of messages from queer Qataris reaching out to us to anonymously share their stories.

RECOGNITION:

CANNES LIONS SHORTLIST 2023

GOLD ANDY 2023 – BRAVERY

ONE SHOW SHORTLIST 2023 – SOCIAL POST

ONE SHOW SHORTLIST 2023 – COMMUNITY BUILDING

ONE SHOW SHORTLIST 2023 – CREATIVE EFFECTIVENESS, NON-PROFIT

ONE SHOW SHORTLIST 2023 – MULTICULTURAL IMPACT

CREDITS
CDs: Marcelo Padoca & Fernando Reis | CW: Heather Baldock, Luis Felipe Rios, Alex Sinmaleza