The World Surfer League has added the United Arab Emirates to its 2025 tour, despite danger to LGBTQIA athletes and fans
BY YASMIN VINCE, IMAGE FROM GETTY VIA CANVA
The World Surfer League (WSL), the international organisation for competitive surfing, has decided to add the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to its 2025 tour, even though this could be dangerous for the LGBTQIA surfing community.
Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, was chosen ahead of the opening of the world’s biggest artificial wave. But the country has severe anti-LGBTQIA laws that could see queer surfers threatened with capital punishment. As such, many surfers from this community, including Australian Olympian Tyler Wright, may have to choose between their careers and their safety.
The decision to add the UAE to the tour has been opposed strongly by LGBTQIA surfers. A petition calling for the country to be removed from the tour gained the support of over 55 surf groups, including Queer Surf Club and LNDN Surf Girl Community, and more than 1500 individuals in under three weeks.
Frazer Riley, founder of Queer Surf Club, said: “We do not support the WSL’s selection of Abu Dhabi as a 2025 tour location, in a country where homosexuality is punishable by death and trans identities are not legally recognised.
“Against all of their supposed Diversity & Inclusion commitments, this decision by the WSL puts their LGBTQIA+ athletes, support teams and spectators at risk, and goes against everything we believe the sport of surfing stands for; peace, inclusivity and accessibility for all.”
The WSL does not currently have a provision to allow surfers to miss a championship tour stop unless a doctor insists so and there is a hefty fine for doing so.
The petition to remove Abu Dhabi from the tour is still accepting signatures and can be found on the change.org website.
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