USA's Timothy LeDuc competes as first openly nonbinary Winter ...

BEIJING — More than a month ago, in the bowels of Bridgestone Arena, Timothy LeDuc said they did not want this moment to be about them.

LeDuc, whose pronouns are they/them, did not want the narrative to focus on the history ahead. They wanted it to be the beginning of a shift, a way of showing queer people that they have the opportunity "to be open and be authentic to themselves and everything that makes them unique, and still achieve success in sport."

With a brilliant performance at Capital Indoor Stadium on Friday, LeDuc did just that.

Skating with partner Ashley Cain-Gribble in the short program of the pairs event, LeDuc became the first openly nonbinary athlete to compete at the Winter Olympics – a historic step for LGBTQ representation and visibility at the Games.

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"I know for me, being openly nonbinary is only possible because amazing queer people have come before me and laid the groundwork for me," LeDuc, 31, said Friday night. "So now I want to do that for others to come after, as well."

LeDuc's debut in Beijing follows that of Quinn, a women's soccer player who became the first openly transgender and nonbinary person to win an Olympic medal when they earned gold with Canada at the most recent Summer Games.

According to GLAAD and Outsports, a website that covers LGBTQ issues and personalities in sports, LeDuc is one of at least 32 out LGBTQ athletes competing in the Beijing Games. There were 15 out athletes at the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang.

"I think it’s amazing," fellow figure skater Jason Brown, who came out as gay last summer, said of the number of LGBTQ athletes competing in Beijing.

"The fact that visibility is just growing, for other people to come, is huge. I’m so proud to be a part of that. And I just feel so lucky to everybody that came before me."

LeDuc has long echoed that sentiment. An Iowa native, they first told their parents at 18 that they were gay, then came out as nonbinary more than a decade later. The term encompasses people whose gender identity and/or gender expression falls outside the "man" and "woman" binary.

At the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, LeDuc spoke at length about struggling to portray masculinity in figure skating, especially in a discipline like pairs where skaters often take on traditional masculine and feminine roles. It just felt "forced," they said.

"It was never authentic to me," LeDuc said. "When I was finally given the tools and shown the example that I can exist outside of that, it all made sense. I finally felt whole in myself."

While feeling that there's too much of a focus placed on physical characteristics when discussing gender expression, LeDuc also noted that they portray elements of both masculinity and femininity. They have a beard, for instance, but wear makeup during competition.

LeDuc found a perfect match in 2016 with Cain-Gribble, a former singles skater who has been open about facing body shaming earlier in a career that almost forced her into retirement. While LeDuc aims to prove that athletes shouldn't be limited by their gender expression, Cain-Gribble hopes to show they shouldn't be limited by body type.

"There is a body stereotype, still," she said last month. "And we're trying to definitely fight that."

Together, LeDuc and Cain-Gribble have won two national championships. They are also trying to break the mold of traditional pairs skating, which Cain-Gribble has described as "the girl being lifted and the male partner just kind of standing there and lifting them."

It's why, in their short program Friday night set to "The White Crow" by Ilan Eshkeri, they displayed equal skating skills – performing many of the same moves, in unison, rather than filling stereotypical gender roles. They were rewarded with a score of 74.13, good for seventh place. The competition will continue with the long program Saturday night.

"I think both Ashley and I have had to overcome so many different things – so many times when people have told us no, or that we don't belong," LeDuc said Friday. "So for both Ashley and I, we had something to prove today, I think. And hopefully people watching us feel that there is space for them to come into figure skating, and for them to be able to celebrate what makes them unique and different."

Contributing: The Associated Press

Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on Twitter @Tom_Schad.

Bryan Ruby becomes only active professional baseball player out as ...

Bryan Ruby first started to realize he was different at 14 years old. That's when the hiding began. Along with the darkness.

He found emotional refuge in two different parts of his identity. He's a professional baseball player, a member of the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, which makes him much closer to a journeyman than a major-leaguer. And he's a country music songwriter, having written two songs that reached the charts, plus countless ballads in his notebook.

Yet it's Ruby's hidden part of his identity that he now believes can have the biggest impact, partially because it's so foreign to the worlds of baseball and country music.

Ruby is a gay man, the only active professional baseball player at any level to be publicly out.

"I kept thinking about the little 14-year-old me, who was scared because I'm a baseball player who loved country music," Ruby, 25, told USA TODAY Sports. "Those are worlds where people like me are told they can't belong. I'm not a hot-shot prospect. But today, you can't find a single active baseball player who is out publicly. I want to help create a world where future generations of baseball players don't have to sacrifice authenticity or who they really are to play the game they love."

His coming out follows a summer in which Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib and Nashville Predators prospect Luke Prokop also came out as gay. After years of no actively out players in men's professional sports, now there are three.

Playing the guitar in his bedroom in recent months, with posters of Dierks Bentley and Cal Ripken Jr. hanging in the background, Ruby sang a song he's co-written that seems especially relevant given his purpose behind coming out.

"If that white line ever gets lonely, if the nights get a little too cold, if it don't work out, if you have your doubts, you've got a place to go."

Ruby's goal is clear: to help others who are forced to hide their identity, too.

"Being closeted for basically 10 years, it was a struggle the whole time," he said. "I used to hate myself. Hate how I felt. I'd ask why am I feeling this way?"

"I kept having people tell me, 'Be very cautious of who you tell' or 'They don't need to know your personal life.' The best way to describe the hiding as an athlete is like you're running with a weighted vest on," he said. "It's on all day and you can't take it off. I've been gradually taking that weight off."

Factor in Ruby's second career in Nashville – where he moonlights writing hits for Hayden Joseph and Xavier Joseph – and you've got two worlds that scream he's straight.

“As a country music songwriter, at first I thought being gay was a huge weakness,” said Ruby, who will be showcased in the upcoming documentary, "Out in Nashville." “There’s this genre about drinking beer and hooking up with girls in the back of the truck. Then I realized that I can bring something different to the table. Love songs don’t need to be gay or straight. And I’ve been able to write my best songs by being authentic.”

Ruby told his family and close friends he was gay four years ago, then his teammates this summer. But being out to the world publicly was the last step.

Ruby pauses: "But I don't like the connotation to, 'coming out.' Because it's more like 'inviting in.' "

A supportive family, 'such courage'

Ruby trembled over the phone sitting parked in his black Dodge Ram truck with the wind blowing in the background.

"Mom, it's me ... I got a spot."

Tears flowed down his cheeks as he told his family in March that he made the Volcanoes roster.

A year ago, the future was uncertain for Ruby and the Volcanoes. A Class-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants from 1997 to 2020, the Volcanoes were not one of the teams invited to join Major League Baseball's newly created minor league structure. They eventually formed the Mavericks Independent League with three other teams based in the Salem, Oregon area.

Meanwhile, Ruby did not play last year, along with hundreds of other farmhands when minor league seasons at all levels were canceled because of COVD-19.

"I didn't think I'd ever play (pro) baseball again," said Ruby, who has kept his career going internationally in six countries that include Austria, Chile, Germany, Guatemala, Peru, and Switzerland – all after a standout career at Vassar College. "I told myself I’d go to the end of the earth if it meant I could keep my baseball career alive. ...I've been a baseball player since I was seven or eight, way before I knew I was gay. It's the lens through which I see the world."

Ruby's mother, Lauren, remembers her son's Little League days – a childhood he said he couldn't have scripted more perfect. But as puberty hit and his friends were growing more attracted to girls, he started to isolate and develop self-hatred at his feelings for guys.

"When Bryan told me he was gay I was shocked actually," Lauren Ruby said of the revelation when Bryan was 21. "I didn’t see it coming. Mostly because Bryan did a really good job of hiding it. I took several weeks of needing to change my reality from my fantasy of what I thought Bryan’s life was going to be. It was heartbreaking to know he was suffering for so long. I was scared for him because people can be so close-minded and hateful. And the male sports world can be very homophobic with degrading banter. I wanted to protect him from all of that."

Bryan was terrified to tell his father, Jon, a star high school quarterback who also played Division I baseball. "I shocked my Mom, but my Dad shocked me because he sort of suspected it," Bryan said. "Then he sort of helped my Mom come along."

"When your son sits there and bares his soul," Jon Ruby said, "you just want him to be happy, and it hits you: what do you want for your kids? To go out into the world and be the best version of themselves. He has so much to offer the world with baseball and music. And he has such conviction ..."

"Such courage," his mother gently interrupts.

"I grew up in a culture where homosexuality was taboo," Jon, a baseball coach at Friends' Central High School in Philadelphia, said. "I had an unusual look into that culture, though, because my brother's gay. He came out to me when he was 22, and it changed my whole perspective. All of the sudden, the (gay) slurs that I was hearing resonated much differently. It heightened my awareness."

That same type of familial coincidence happened to Ruby when he was in the process of coming out to his teammates this year.

Gabriel Cotto, the Volcanoes' catcher, said he never would've pictured Ruby as gay. But Cotto immediately embraced Ruby once he told him because his own father is gay.

"I grew up with two Dads and we were just like a regular family," Cotto said. "But I used to get bullied and in fights growing up because my pops is gay. When Ruby told me, I just had so much respect for him. It made our friendship closer."

Why 'voices matter'

Ruby wears his lucky shoes in just about every game. They've got rainbow shoelaces in them now. He got the cleats from his mentor and friend, Billy Bean, the MLB vice president and special assistant to the commissioner.

Bean played in the major leagues as an outfielder for nearly a decade and came out as gay himself after his retirement in the 1990s. Despite a paucity of publicly out active players – Milwaukee Brewers minor leaguer David Denson came out in 2015 and retired shortly thereafter – Bean has been a visible presence and confidant for closeted MLB players.

Ruby wrote Bean a letter in 2018, and Ruby still has Bean's response letter framed on his wall.

"I didn't even put my last name or address," said Ruby. "He's someone who sits right next to the MLB commissioner and he has my back. I've worn his cleats everywhere I've played – on three different continents. I look down at them, and know I have support.

"I didn't think about the symbolic meaning until recently, of me wearing his shoes and what I'm doing (going public)."

"The beauty of it for Bryan is that he's not playing to only become a big leaguer," Bean told USA TODAY Sports. "He's playing because he loves the game. I imagine he'll be proud of himself when he's 40 years old in his country music career knowing what he's doing for baseball. I couldn't be prouder, and I definitely think Bryan's story is a stepping stone in the right direction."

A stepping stone that could have a domino effect for other gay professional athletes. Bean said that the decision of a closeted player to come out or not is "not as simple as people want to make it. There are so many considerations."

Ruby ran the gamut in those considerations before telling his team.

"You must do well with the ladies, huh, man?" The questions in the locker room were aplenty. His typical answer: "I'm in a relationship." True, but the answer evaded the discomfort of revealing his relationship with his boyfriend, Max, of a year and a half.

"It's not all super rosy," Ruby said.

Older coaches from past generations have been subtly homophobic, urging him to keep his sexual orientation a secret or to be with a woman to keep up a front. Teammates over the years have slipped out gay slurs. And opponents can be the worst of them all, shooting out sexual barbs to intimidate.

Gehrig Richins, the Volcanoes' assistant coach, said he imagines teammates being protective of Ruby if gay slurs were to persist once he's out publicly. "It's almost better if we know as a team," Richins said. "Because then there's a sense of respect and guys can watch their language to avoid harm. We can have his back."

But therein is part of the paradox of being closeted: Homophobic language begets fear. Then fear keeps athletes closeted and, in turn, teammates aren't as likely to check their offensive language at the door.

"Bryan understands that until there's more people like him or Carl Nassib (out), voices matter," Bean said. "The expectation would be to mute your life off the field and hide. Putting yourself in discomfort to make others comfortable. But we embrace Clayton Kershaw's family since it shows us he's human."

Ruby called Nassib and Prokop "heroes" and said he even bought his first-ever NFL jersey the day after Nassib came out.

"Each time somebody comes out in industries where queer people have not been historically represented in the mainstream," Ruby said, "it helps to crumble the myth that you can't be yourself. But we're in the 2020s. It's about damn time for this.

"If I can help just one person from this, then that’s greater than any single hit or home run or win that I ever get on the field."

Josh Cavallo: Gay Australian footballer says World Cup shouldn't be ...

CNN —

It has been almost a year since Josh Cavallo announced he is gay, but even now he still struggles to comprehend the far-reaching impact his announcement has had – especially as he has begun to speak out on major issues, notably the Qatar World Cup.

Since making that life-changing decision in October 2021, Cavallo has become one of the most recognizable names and faces in world football, as well as becoming something of an icon.

The Adelaide United star was recently named “Man of the Year” at an awards ceremony hosted by Attitude Magazine, Europe’s largest LGBTQ magazine publication. It was the culmination of a whirlwind year that started with what he describes as the beginning of a new chapter in his life.

“It was huge for me,” Cavallo tells CNN Sport. “To come out, it was a lot for my family, my friends and it was a huge step forward.

“I just didn’t know what to expect … and I just took it as best as I could and I ran with it, and this is who I am.

“I didn’t want to hide anymore and I wanted to show everyone who Josh Cavallo the person is. To see that I’m affecting and helping people in their everyday lives.

“I’m walking in the streets of London and getting stopped. I’ve only been to London twice now and I’m like: ‘Wow, I’m all the way from Australia and what I did was via social media,’ and to see the impact it’s had from people on the other side of the globe is absolutely phenomenal.”

Josh Cavallo publicly announced he was gay in October 2021. Jason McCawley/Getty Images AsiaPac/Getty Images

A year on, Cavallo remains the only openly gay top-flight male footballer in the world – he plays for Adelaide United in Australia’s A League – but his decision inspired Jake Daniels, a forward for English second division club Blackpool, to come out in May of this year.

Cavallo admits he did not know what the reaction would be to his announcement, and even though there have been negative comments, for every hateful message he says he receives, there are 100 supportive ones.

Though he experienced concerns ahead of publicly coming out, he says the overwhelming feeling was being “emotionally pleased” that he would no longer be “hiding and living in that fear.”

“It was just the uncertainty, seeing that there was no active gay footballer that’s come out before and there was no plan with it,” he recalls.

“I didn’t know what to expect, I didn’t know how people were going to react, there was a lot of uncertainty and that’s something that I struggled with growing up and why it took me so long to become the person I am.

“I wanted to be that person that, you know, people look at now and say: ‘Oh my God, that’s so cool. I want to do that. I want to do what Josh is doing,’ and I want it to be inclusive and quite influential.

“It’s great to see the people now in the football industry, the referees and people in sport coming out and referring to my story and saying I had an influence on them. It’s just absolutely phenomenal that it’s had that impact.”

"To see that we're heading to a country (Qatar) that's criminalizing people like myself ... It's quite concerning," says Cavallo of the 2022 World Cup. Ashley Feder/Getty Images AsiaPac/Getty Images

‘A long way to go’

Cavallo names Lionel Messi as one of his inspirations on the pitch growing up, but he says he looked up to Justin Fashanu for inspiration in his personal life.

Fashanu became the first openly gay professional footballer after coming out in 1990 while playing in the English top flight, but the backlash he suffered eventually led him to take his own life eight years later.

“To see that story end in such a sad way, it did hurt me and it was like I didn’t want people to get that perspective on it,” says Cavallo.

“It is so great to be gay. It is so great to be a footballer and to be comfortable in your own skin. Why aren’t we embracing that? And I knew I had the chance to change that.”

Earlier this month, former Spain internationals Iker Casillas and Carles Puyol were widely criticized after the former posted a tweet claiming he was gay.

In a now deleted post on his official Twitter account, Casillas wrote: “I hope I’ll be respected: I’m gay.” In response, former Barcelona captain Carles Puyol wrote: “The time has come to tell our story, Iker.”

Casillas, who has two children with his former wife, deleted the post shortly after it was sent and later apologized, as did Puyol. The original tweet came amid gossip within Spanish media which has linked Casillas to multiple women since his divorce.

Cavallo criticized Puyol and Casillas for their tweets. Sarah Reed/Getty Images AsiaPac/Getty Images

Cavallo, who tweeted criticism of the the pair at the time, says the trivialization of such an important topic does a disservice to those around the world who face persecution for their sexuality.

“It’s hard for people to understand when they don’t experience it,” he says.

“You get a lot of messages via social media of people in countries like Qatar and they say: ‘Josh, please help me. I want to come out, I want to be myself but they’re going to criminalize me. I’m going to get the death penalty.

“When you hear stuff like that, it breaks your heart because they’re the things that everyday people go through in these countries.

“There are 69 countries in the world that still criminalize this, so it is a huge, important topic and to see icons of the game making fun out of that and mocking my own tribe, it does hurt me and offend me because there are a lot of people that are fighting for their lives just to be comfortable with who they are in their own skin.”

Cavallo says the exchange between Casillas and Puyol proves football still has “got a long way to go” to eradicate homophobia, even if the sport has recently made steps in the right direction.

“Something that could be an exchange of a joke or a mockery is quite hurtful to people like us because we go through our lives so strong, finding our identity of who we are and we finally build up the courage to be who we are and be comfortable in our own skin,” he says.

“Then you see people and legends of the game doing that it is quite hurtful because we look up to these people. These are the people we dream of playing against or playing with alongside.

“So to see people like that do things like that and [make] silly jokes like that is quite hurtful to myself especially and my community.”

Cavallo players for Adelaide United in the A-League, Australia's top football division. Sarah Reed/Getty Images

After announcing his sexuality last year Cavallo said that he would be “scared” to play in Qatar, where same-sex activity is prohibited.

In response to Cavallo’s fears at the time, Nasser Al Khater, the chief executive of the tournament’s organizing committee, told CNN: “On the contrary, we welcome him here in the state of Qatar, we welcome him to come and see even prior to the World Cup … Nobody feels threatened here, nobody feels unsafe.”

“I know personally, if I go there, I will be protected because I’m in the public eye,” Cavallo told CNN anchor Amanda Davies.

“But it’s not me that I’m worried about. It’s those ones that are messaging me. It’s those people that aren’t in the public eye that are scared to even be themselves and walk the streets.”

“To see that we’re heading to a country that’s criminalizing people like myself … It’s quite concerning,” added Cavallo.

CNN has reached out to Qatar’s World Cup organizers for comment on Cavallo’s comments, but did not get a response.

Earlier this year, former England international David Beckham become one of the most high-profile ambassadors for the World Cup in Qatar.

Beckham has previously been widely criticized for accepting the role and Cavallo says he would like to see Beckham using his platform to support the LGBTQ community instead.

“Look, I don’t know David personally, so I can’t really comment on him and his actions,” Cavallo says. “But having allies in the game is really helpful and when I came out to my changing room, my teammates and to see the reception – every single one of them is an ally of me.

“It made me so proud on the inside and it makes you really emotional because it’s something that I struggled for a long time. So it has such a significant impact on myself and my community.

“If someone like David Beckham with his platform does get around us and becomes an ally that we we are wanting him to be, it is really helpful.

“If he could take that next step and show what he means to the LGBTQ community, that would be fantastic.”

Amanda Davies Richard Parr Matias Grez
Amanda Davies
Richard Parr
Matias Grez

Isaac Humphries: 'I'm essentially starting a new life,' says the only ...

CNN —

As he begins to discuss his sexuality, Isaac Humphries says he is able to lift 25 years of weight off his shoulders.

Humphries, who plays for Melbourne United in Australia’s National Basketball League, had never previously spoken publicly about his sexuality out of fear it would negatively impact his career.

But now, he says he feels ready to “live my true life” and become the world’s only openly gay man playing top-flight basketball.

“Forever, I thought that being a professional basketball player and gay were mutually exclusive and that I had to hide that side of my life and wasn’t allowed to be who I truly am,” Humphries exclusively tells CNN Sport’s Amanda Davies.

“I’m making the decision to come out … because I believe that I can be who I am in my environment, and I can change the trajectory of how we view being gay in sport.”

In 2013, former NBA player Jason Collins became the first openly gay athlete in one of the four major North American sports leagues when he came out late in his career.

More recently, Josh Cavallo, who plays for Adelaide United in Australia’s A League, became the only current openly gay top-flight male soccer player when he came out last year.

As for Humphries, he says coming to terms with his sexuality drove him to a “very dark” and “very lonely” place before feeling comfortable enough to come out.

Humphries joined Melbourne United in July this year. Ian Knight

“My self-hate, my self-homophobia – everything in that realm was very, very real within my brain and it got so dark that I absolutely thought about exiting this world,” he adds.

“I didn’t want to exist like this, I didn’t think I was allowed to exist like this within my basketball world.”

But it was his love of basketball that Humphries says saved his life, together with the notion that he could help others in a similar position.

While he says his Melbourne United team is “so accepting” and that he feels “honored and privileged” to play basketball, the six-foot, 11-inch center points to the locker-room atmosphere as one of the barriers to feeling comfortable as a gay man in the sport.

“The environment is very masculine,” says Humphries. “It’s not as progressive as the rest of the world. It’s a little bit back in time in those locker rooms. It is talked about quite negatively, the idea of being gay.

“It’s our working environment at the end of the day,” he adds. “We are there every single day and we become a family. Why wouldn’t they want their family members to be comfortable within their environment?”

The 24-year-old Humphries has experienced different sporting environments across the globe, previously playing Division 1 NCAA college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats before stints in the NBA, the G-League and in Europe.

Humphries, seen facing the Hofstra Pride in December 2016, played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats. Rich Graessle/AP

He returned to Australia to play for the Adelaide 36ers in 2020 and then signed for Melbourne earlier this year.

Humphries has found his form in the past four games, averaging 16.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game, but he says it was while in Los Angeles last year that he was able to feel happy about his sexuality after seeing members of the LGBTQ+ community living in a positive environment for the first time.

He says taking the decision to come out has changed his life immeasurably.

“I have a weight lifted off my shoulders, 25 years of weight,” says Humphries.

“And it’s not just a little weight – it’s deep-rooted feelings and weight that get to be lifted from you – it’s euphoric. It’s an amazing feeling to just not have to hide every single day, to not have to pretend, to not have to make up stories and lies.

“I’m essentially starting a new life – it’s like a birthday,” he adds. “I can’t believe this is happening; from how dark I was to now is night and day. I’m super grateful for that.”

Amanda Davies George Ramsay
Amanda Davies
George Ramsay

World Cup host country Qatar says all are welcome to but some ...

Editor’s Note: A version of this article appears in Friday’s edition of CNN’s Meanwhile in the Middle East newsletter, a three-times-a-week look inside the region’s biggest stories. Sign up here.

CNN —

“I’m a man and I love men. I do – please don’t be shocked – have sex with other men. This is normal. So please get used to it, or stay out of football.”

Dario Minden was a relatively unknown German football fan before a video of a powerful speech he made was widely shared on social media in September.

For the majority of the 15-minute talk he spoke in his native German before switching to English, a change he deliberately made, he says, for impact. He wanted the world to hear.

Looking directly at Qatar’s ambassador to Germany, Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Saud al-Thani, in a room full of dignitaries and sponsors at a human rights conference in Frankfurt, hosted by the German Football Association, he said his impactful words. Sitting in the front row, the camera pans briefly to al-Thani and shows him looking at and listening to Minden.

“Football is for everyone,” Minden continued. “It doesn’t matter if you’re lesbian, if you’re gay, it’s for everyone. For the boys, for the girls and for everyone in between … The rule that football is for everyone is so important. We cannot allow you to break it no matter how rich you are. You are more than welcome to join the international football community and, also, of course, to host a big tournament. But in sports, it is how it is. You have to accept the rules.”

When Minden finishes, a sprinkling of applause can be heard from some members of the audience.

That he loves men and has sex with men isn’t an issue in his homeland, but it is in Qatar, a country which from Sunday will be hosting the month-long World Cup, one of sport’s biggest and most lucrative events.

Visitors gather at the FIFA World Cup countdown clock in Doha on October 30, 2022. Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images

As the first World Cup to be held in the Middle East, it is undoubtedly a historic event, but it is also one clouded by controversy, from the death of migrant workers and the conditions many have endured as the Gulf state prepared for the tournament, to LGBTQ and women’s rights.

Homosexuality in Qatar is illegal and punishable by up to three years in prison. A report from Human Rights Watch, published last month, documented cases as recently as September of Qatari security forces arbitrarily arresting LGBT people and subjecting them to “ill-treatment in detention.”

Speaking to CNN, Minden said he would not be going to Qatar and would not be watching the competition on television.

“When we talk about the situation for the LGBTQ+ rights, we mean not only the football tourists, but also the situation before, and especially after, the World Cup,” he said.

After the conference, Minden said he spoke privately with the ambassador who he said told him all were welcome to Qatar. But Minden told CNN: “It’s not safe and it’s not right.”

‘Everyone is welcome to Qatar’

A Qatar government official told CNN in a statement that the World Cup host was an inclusive country. “Everyone is welcome in Qatar,” the statement read, adding: “Our track record has shown that we have warmly welcomed all people regardless of background.”

Measures were being implemented to ensure discrimination of any kind did not happen, such as human rights training sessions with public and private security forces, and the enacting of legal provisions for the protection of everyone, according to FIFA.

A statement sent to CNN on behalf of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) which, since its formation in 2011, has been responsible for overseeing the infrastructure projects and planning for the World Cup, said it was committed to “an inclusive and discriminatory-free” World Cup, pointing to the fact that the country had, it said, hosted hundreds of international and regional sporting events since being awarded the World Cup in 2010.

“There has never been an issue and every event has been delivered safely,” the statement read.

“Everyone is welcome in Qatar, but we are a conservative country and any public display of affection, regardless of orientation, is frowned upon. We simply ask for people to respect our culture.”

But there have been mixed messages with a World Cup ambassador and former footballer Khalid Salman saying earlier this month that homosexuality was “damage in the mind,” in an interview with German broadcaster ZDF.

When asked by CNN for its advice to any members of the LGBTQ community traveling to Qatar, FIFA referred to a recent public statement made by Fatma Samoura, the the governing body’s secretary general, who said: “No matter your race, your religion, your social and sexual orientation, you are most welcome, and Qataris are ready to receive you with the best hospitality that you can imagine.”

‘I don’t feel comfortable traveling to Qatar’

But for Englishman Rob Sanderson the respecting of cultures is a “two-way street.”

Sanderson is Special Projects Officer of Pride in Football, a network of UK LGBTQ fan groups and one of the supporter groups which joined forces in an open letter to condemn both FIFA and the Supreme Committee, refuting the world governing body and Qatar’s claims that it would be a World Cup for all.

He is a regular at England internationals and was once the victim of a homophobic assault, he says, at Wembley four years ago, ahead of England’s match against Spain in 2018, when he had an altercation with another fan. The incident was reported to the police and investigated, he says, but there was “insufficient evidence” to proceed, he says. But, largely, he has felt accepted at England matches, where he and his friends hold pride flags aloft celebrating their community and the team.

However, he will not be going to Qatar and says if England were to win the tournament, it would be a tarnished trophy.

“I don’t feel comfortable traveling out to Qatar and being in any way visible because if I’m visibly showing I’m an LGBT+ football fan, all I’m doing is drawing a target on the back of a local who is anything other than hostile towards me,” the 34-year-old told CNN.

“I don’t feel comfortable being used as an excuse for any hostility that would be around after the tournament. It doesn’t sit right with me.”

Qatar isn’t the first controversial host of a big sporting event, or even a FIFA World Cup. The last edition was held in Russia, a country which introduced laws in 2013 which banned “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations.”

In the build-up to the 2018 tournament, the UK Foreign Office warned of a “heightened risks” to members of the LGBT community traveling to Russia.

But while some Pride in Football members went to Russia, Sanderson says, feeling that it was safe as Russian society had previously accepted, in the post-Soviet and pre-Putin era, same-sex relationships, none of its members are going to Qatar. “It’s a totally different environment,” he said.

“They said ‘everyone’s welcome’ but they’ve signed that line off by saying ‘you must respect our culture’.”

It has been widely reported that FIFA has urged nations participating in the World Cup to focus on football when the tournament kicks off on Sunday.

FIFA confirmed to CNN that a letter signed by FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Samoura was sent out to the 32 participating nations but would not divulge the contents.

A joint statement issued earlier this month by fan groups Pride in Football, The Rainbow Wall and Three Lions Pride said: “Let’s be clear, talking about human rights is neither ideological nor political. It is simply asking for decency and the ability for people to be able to watch their teams without fear of abuse.”

A number of European federations also issued a statement saying they would continue to campaign at the tournament on human rights issues and compensation for migrant workers.

USA's team logo is displayed in a room used for briefings during a training session at the team's training camp in Doha ahead of Qatar 2022. Ozan Kose/AFP/Getty Images

Gareth Bale, once the world’s most expensive footballer and Wales captain, will wear a OneLove armband during matches in Qatar in support of a season-long campaign which promotes diversity and inclusion. Wales is one of eight participating European countries at the World Cup supporting the initiative.

Speaking to reporters before traveling to Qatar, the former Real Madrid player said: “We can shed a light on the problems that are going on.”

However, Hugo Lloris, captain of France, another team participating in the OneLove campaign, said on Monday he had to “show respect” to Qatar’s culture when asked by reporters about wearing a rainbow-colored armband.

“In France, when we welcome foreigners, we often want them to play by our rules and respect our culture – and I will do the same when I go to Qatar,” he said.

England flew into Qatar on Tuesday on a plane called “Rain Bow” and the US Men’s National Team (USMNT) is displaying a rainbow logo at the team’s training facility in Doha. Talking to reporters, head coach Gregg Berhalter said: “We recognize that Qatar has made strides and there has been a ton of progress, but there’s some work still to do.”

The nearer we get to the kick-off of the opening match between Qatar and Ecuador on November 20, the louder the dissenting voices are becoming and the more visible the signs of support for LGBTQ issues.

The World Cup, like the Olympics, puts the host country under a global spotlight. Usually, most controversies are forgotten once the sport starts, but such has been the intensity of focus on Qatar’s human rights record that it would be astonishing if all were forgotten by kickoff on Sunday. It is unlikely that headlines over the next month will solely be about football.

Tennis seems ready for gay male, but none are out

Douglas Robson. USA TODAY Sports

The tennis community rallied in support of NBA player Jason Collins announcing he was gay

Tennis has a history of prominent players being out

So far%2C however%2C that has been exclusively women

As support poured in from the tennis community for NBA player Jason Collins' decision to come out Monday, another question cropped up.

Where are the gay men in tennis?

An individual sport with a history of prominent out athletes such as Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova and Amelie Mauresmo — No. 1s all — tennis has been conspicuously without an active openly gay male player in the Open era.

In interviews with more than a dozen male and female players over the past few months — from teenager Laura Robson of Britain to 40-year-old doubles specialist Daniel Nestor of Canada — none expressed discomfort with the idea of a gay peer.

And many agreed that simple math suggests they exist. Studies put the percentage of homosexuals in the general population at anywhere from 2%-5%.

"There's got to be someone who plays tennis who is gay," said Sam Querrey, the top-ranked American at No. 19. "Whether they are on the tour now or up and coming, I'm completely fine with it."

Still, most scratched their heads for an explanation.

"I don't know," admitted nine-time Wimbledon singles winner Navratilova after learning about Collins. Navratilova came out during her prime in 1981.

While 12-year NBA veteran Collins is the first active male in a major American team sport to declare his same-sex preference, several men have come out in baseball, football and basketball, not to mention a variety of other sports from soccer to figure skating to swimming. Until Collins, 34, nearly all did so after retiring.

Some, such as diver Greg Louganis and relay swimmer Bruce Hayes, both Olympic gold medalists, reached the pinnacle of their sport.

At least one male player has come out in retirement: Francisco Rodriguez of Paraguay, a former all-American who competed on the pro tour from 2001-2006 and earned a high ranking of No. 373.

Rodriguez spoke about being gay in a 2008 article in Out Magazine, saying: "'If you came out on the tennis tour you would be an outcast.'"

Pro tennis might not be a bastion of tolerance, but it would appear to contain the framework for gay athletes, male or female, to compete with greater ease.

Players are independent contractors that control their own destiny (in singles). They do not rely on teammates. General managers or coaches cannot thwart or threaten playing time. It is non-contact. They face no external forces except the opponent on the other side of the net.

In searching for answers, players offered several possibilities for the lack of openly gay men and scarcity of publicly out women.

Some wondered if a global sport like tennis might actually be less tolerant due to the complicated matrix of nationalities, languages and religions.

"It's so many different islands," said Mike Bryan, who with twin brother Bob is ranked No. 1 in doubles. "I don't know how everyone feels on that issue."

Others such as American veteran Michael Russell pointed to the timeworn but still persistent idea that locker room etiquette is a deterrent.

"It's pretty open in the locker room," said Russell, who nevertheless said he'd have no problems in that scenario. "Maybe they'd feel uncomfortable."

A few cited the threat economic sanctions in the form of lost endorsements.

"Trust me, Martina and Billie Jean suffered with the endorsements," said 18-time major winner Chris Evert, referring to her rivals and friends Navratilova and King.

Evert said that fear lingers, though that did not seem to affect Frenchwoman Mauresmo, who came out during her run to the Australian Open final as a 19-year-old in 1999 but seemed little penalized during her career.

Evert also argued that staying closeted — or at least not publicly speaking about one's sexuality — stems from a desire for privacy. She noted that some women players continue to travel openly with their partners but have not officially come out.

"I think a lot of people feel that what they do off the court or off the set is nobody's business," she said, comparing professional sports to Hollywood. "People want to keep one part of their life private."

Querrey wondered if gay men naturally gravitate away from sports and were thus less represented.

Rennae Stubbs of Australia, who came out near the end of her career and now is a commentator for television, said macho stereotypes have worked both for and against gay athletes.

"Most people perceive a lot of women athletes as being gay anyway, which is ridiculous because we all know that's not the case," the four-time doubles Grand Slam champion said. "I think it's a lot more difficult for the guys, and not just tennis. Every sport has this issue."

Stubbs came out because she didn't want it "hanging over my head" as she made the transition to other endeavors after retiring.

"The bottom line," she said of coming out, "is that it's a personal preference and some people are very private people. Only they can answer that. I'm a very open person. That's why."

Certainly, the climate for gay athletes is warming.

After hearing about Collins, Andy Roddick and Mardy Fish became the first two male tennis players to join Athlete Ally, an organization dedicated to ending homophobia in sports.

Fish, who lives close to Collins' twin brother Jarron in Los Angeles and has socialized with both brothers, wrote by email that he joined Athlete Ally to be "part of something I believe in."

"I don't know how an openly gay male tennis player would be received but in my eyes nothing would change," said the former top-10 player, who has played sparingly this year due to the ongoing effects of a heart condition. "Hopefully these are the first steps towards a day when this won't be big news."

The 35-year-old Bryans, who attended Stanford University with the Collins brothers and remain friends, echoed most views when they said they don't know any current men who are gay but believe the environment is transforming quickly.

"The world has changed," said Mike. "It's the 21st century. Everyone is more accepting. I don't think anyone would have any issues. But who knows?"

Qatar makes World Cup debut in a controversial tournament of firsts ...

Doha, Qatar CNN —

There have been 21 editions of the men’s World Cup since its inauguration in 1930 but Qatar 2022 is set to be a tournament like no other.

Since it was announced as the host city almost 12 years ago, it was always destined to be a World Cup of firsts.

From extreme weather to tournament debuts, CNN takes a look at the ways this year’s competition will be breaking new ground.

Qatar debut

This will be the first time the Qatari men’s national team will participate in a World Cup finals, having failed to qualify through usual means in the past.

FIFA, the sport’s governing body, permits a host nation to take part in a World Cup without having to go through the qualifying rounds, which means the small Gulf state can now test itself against the best in world soccer.

Qatar is relatively new to the sport, having played its first official match in 1970, but the country has fallen in love with the beautiful game and the national team has steadily improved.

In 2004, The Aspire Academy was founded in the hope of finding and developing all of Qatar’s most talented sportspeople.

In recent years, that has reaped rewards for its soccer team. Qatar won the Asia Cup in 2019, capping off one of the most memorable runs in the tournament’s history, conceding only one goal throughout the tournament.

Seventy percent of the squad that won the trophy came through the academy, and that number has only increased heading into the World Cup.

Coached by Spaniard Felix Sanchez, Qatar will be looking to surprise people and faces a relatively kind group, alongside Ecuador, Senegal and The Netherlands.

Qatar will look to spring a surprise at Qatar 2022. Joe Klamar/AFP/Getty Images

‘Winter’ Cup

The World Cup has always been held in either May, June or July but Qatar 2022 will break away from such tradition – more out of necessity.

Temperatures in Qatar can reach over 40 degrees Celsius over those months so, with this in mind, the tournament was moved to a cooler time.

However, winter in Qatar is a relative term with temperatures still likely to be around 30 degrees, but organizers hope to combat the heat with multiple methods, such as high-tech cooling systems in stadiums.

The change in tournament dates has played havoc with some of the biggest domestic leagues in the world.

All of Europe’s top leagues have had to work a winter break into their schedules, meaning congested fixture lists before and after the tournament.

This will be the first World Cup played in November and December. David Ramos/Getty Images

Islamic country

One of FIFA’s justifications for awarding Qatar the hosting rights was the ability to take the tournament to a new part of the world.

None of the 21 previous World Cups have been held in an Islamic country and this month’s tournament will be a chance for the region to celebrate its growing love for the game.

However, it undoubtedly raises a few problems that organizers have had to tackle. For many fans, drinking alcohol has, and will continue to be, a big part of the experience of such tournaments.

In Qatar, though, it’s illegal to be seen drunk in public, which has forced organizers to come up with inventive ways to circumnavigate the issue.

As a result, alcohol will only be served in designated fan parks around Doha and there will be separate areas for fans to sober up before and after matches.

Video Ad Feedback World's only openly gay active pro footballer is concerned for LGBTQ community ahead of Qatar 2022 04:39 - Source: CNN

Smallest hosts

Another question mark around the tournament is how the country will be able to deal with the influx of an expected one million visitors, given it’s the smallest country to host the World Cup, with a population of just under three million.

As a result, all eight stadiums are in and around Doha, the capital city, and are all within an hour’s drive of each other.

Organizers say the travel infrastructure – including buses, metro and car hires – will be able to cope with the increased pressure.

One benefit of the small distances between venues is that fans will be able to see up to two games in one day. Should traffic be kind.

Due to its size, Qatar has also had to be smart with its accommodation. Two cruise ships, MSC Poesia and MSC World Europa, are being moored in Doha to provide some support to hotels.

Fans will have the chance to stay on cruise ships in Doha, Qatar. Catherine Ivill/Getty Images

Both vessels will offer the usual cruise ship experience, but fans won’t be sailing any further than the 10-minute shuttle-bus ride into the heart of Doha.

For those fans prone to a touch of sea sickness, organizers have also built three ‘Fan Villages’ which will offer a place to stay on the outskirts of the city.

Video Ad Feedback The Qatar World Cup's migrant worker dilemma 04:31 - Source: CNN

These include a variety of accommodation – including caravans, portacabins and even camping experiences – and all are located within reasonable distances of the venues.

Also, for those able to afford a little more, there will be luxury yachts docked in Doha’s harbor, which can offer a place to sleep for, let’s face it, an extortionate price.

‘Carbon neutral’ tournament

FIFA has pledged to make Qatar 2022 the first carbon neutral World Cup, as world soccer’s governing body continues its pledge to make the sport more environmentally friendly.

It, alongside Qatar, pledged to offset carbon emissions by investing in green projects and buying carbon credits – a common practice used by businesses to “cancel out” the impact of a carbon footprint.

Qatar, the world’s largest emitter per capita of carbon dioxide, has said it will keep emissions low and remove as much carbon from the atmosphere as the tournament produces by investing in projects that will capture the greenhouse gases.

For instance, it will be sowing the seeds for the largest turf farm in the world by planting 679,000 shrubs and 16,000 trees.

The plants will be laid at stadiums and elsewhere around the country and are supposed to absorb thousands of tons of carbon from the atmosphere every year.

However, critics have accused organizers of “greenwashing” the event – a term used to call out those who try to cover their damage to the environment and climate with green initiatives that are either false, misleading or overstated.

Carbon Market Watch (CMW), a nonprofit advocacy group specializing in carbon pricing, says Qatar’s calculations are grossly underestimated.

Female officials

Qatar 2022 will also see female referees officiate a men’s World Cup match for the first time.

Yamashita Yoshimi, Salima Mukansanga and Stephanie Frappart have all been named among the 36 officials selected for the tournament.

They will be joined by Neuza Back, Karen Diaz Medina and American Kathryn Nesbitt, who will be traveling to the Gulf nation as assistants.

Frappart is arguably the most famous name on the list after she wrote her name into the history books in 2020 by becoming the first woman to take charge of a men’s Champions League match.

Referee Yoshimi Yamashita will make her debut at the men's World Cup. Masashi Hara/Getty Images

But looking to learn from her in Qatar is Rwanda’s Mukansanga, who told CNN that she was excited to embrace the challenge of refereeing at a major tournament.

“I would look at what the referees are doing, just to copy the best things they’re doing, so that one day I would be in the World Cup like this,” she said, adding that her family couldn’t wait to see her take to the pitch.

It’s not yet decided when the women will be refereeing their first match at the tournament, but there will be some new rules to enforce.

For the first time, teams will be able to use up to five substitutes and managers can now pick from a squad of 26 players, rather than the usual 23.

Qatar 2022 is set to start on November 20. You can follow CNN’s coverage of the World Cup here.

Pride Month: What to know about the LGBTQ celebration | CNN

CNN —

June is Pride Month, when the world’s LGBT communities come together and celebrate the freedom to be themselves.

But Pride gatherings are more than bright colors and good times. They are rooted in the arduous history of minority groups who have struggled for decades to overcome prejudice and be accepted for who they are.

The original organizers chose this month to pay homage to the Stonewall uprising in June 1969 in New York City, which helped spark the modern gay rights movement. Most Pride events take place each year in June, although some cities hold their celebrations at other times of the year.

Who celebrates it?

A participant from Venezuela takes part in Berlin's annual gay pride parade in 2017. JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP/Getty Images

Pride events are geared toward anyone who feels like their sexual identity falls outside the mainstream – although many straight people join in, too.

LGBT is an acronym meaning lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender. The term sometimes is extended to LGBTQ, or even LGBTQIA, to include queer, intersex and asexual groups. Queer is an umbrella term for non-straight people; intersex refers to those whose sex is not clearly defined because of genetic, hormonal or biological differences; and asexual describes those who don’t experience sexual attraction.

These terms may also include gender fluid people, or those whose gender identity shifts over time or depending on the situation.

How did it start?

People celebrate outside the historic Stonewall Inn during the New York Pride March on June 27, 2021, in New York City. Roy Rochlin/Getty Images North America/Getty Images

In the early hours of June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York’s Greenwich Village, and began hauling customers outside. Tensions quickly escalated as patrons resisted arrest and a growing crowd of bystanders threw bottles and coins at the officers. New York’s gay community, fed up after years of harassment by authorities, broke out in neighborhood riots that went on for three days.

The uprising became a catalyst for an emerging gay rights movement as organizations such as the Gay Liberation Front and the Gay Activists Alliance were formed, modeled after the civil rights movement and the women’s rights movement. Members held protests, met with political leaders and interrupted public meetings to hold those leaders accountable. A year after the Stonewall riots, the nation’s first Gay Pride marches were held.

In 2016 the area around the Stonewall Inn, still a popular nightspot today, was designated a national monument.

Where did the Pride name come from?

Members and allies of the LGBTQ community march on June 12, 2021, in Washington. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

It’s credited to Brenda Howard, a bisexual New York activist nicknamed the “Mother of Pride,” who organized the first Pride parade to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall uprising.

What’s the origin of the rainbow flag?

Eric Thayer/Getty Images

In 1978, artist and designer Gilbert Baker was commissioned by San Francisco city supervisor Harvey Milk – one of the first openly gay elected officials in the US – to make a flag for the city’s upcoming Pride celebrations. Baker, a prominent gay rights activist, gave a nod to the stripes of the American flag but drew inspiration from the rainbow to reflect the many groups within the gay community.

Baker, a prominent gay rights activist, gave a nod to the stripes of the American flag but drew inspiration from the rainbow to reflect the many groups within the gay community.

A subset of flags represent other sexualities on the spectrum, such as bisexual, pansexual and asexual.

Can I participate in Pride events if I’m not LGBT?

Kamala Harris, then California's attorney general, rides in San Francisco's Pride parade in 2016. JOSH EDELSON/AFP/AFP/Getty Images

Sure. Pride events welcome allies from outside the LGBT community. Parades and other celebrations are opportunities to show support, to observe, listen and be educated.

CDC investigates 'one of the worst outbreaks of meningococcal ...

CNN —

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Florida Department of Health are investigating “one of the worst outbreaks of meningococcal disease among gay and bisexual men in U.S. history,” the CDC said Wednesday.

The CDC said Thursday there have been 26 cases and seven deaths from meningococcal disease in Florida during the investigation period. Among those, 24 cases and six deaths were in men who have sex with men.

The CDC says the outbreak is “primarily among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men, including those living with HIV. Recent data show that about half of the cases associated with this outbreak are among Hispanic men. This outbreak is mostly affecting people who live in Florida but has also affected some people who have traveled to Florida.”

Meningococcal disease includes meningitis – infections of the lining of the brain and spinal cord – and bloodstream infections. “Meningococcal disease can affect anyone and can be deadly,” the CDC said in its statement.

The bacteria is spread through sharing respiratory or throat secretions, such as saliva or spit. It normally takes close or lengthy contact, for example kissing or being close to someone who is coughing, to spread the bacteria.

Symptoms include high fever, headache, stiff neck, nausea or vomiting or a dark purple rash, the CDC said. While they can first appear as flu like, they typically get worse very quickly. If someone has these symptoms, they should seek medical attention immediately.

CDC is recommending that gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men get the meningococcal vaccine if they live in Florida, or talk to their health care provider if they are traveling to the state. For those who live with HIV, health officials are emphasizing the importance of routine vaccination.

“Getting vaccinated against meningococcal disease is the best way to prevent this serious illness, which can quickly become deadly,” said Dr. José R. Romero, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, in the CDC news release. “Because of the outbreak in Florida, and the number of Pride events being held across the state in coming weeks, it’s important that gay and bisexual men who live in Florida get vaccinated, and those traveling to Florida talk to their healthcare provider about getting a MenACWY vaccine.”

The vaccine is offered at doctors’ offices, pharmacies, community health centers or local health departments, the CDC said, and insurance should cover the cost for people for whom the vaccine is recommended during an outbreak. Anyone in Florida can get the vaccine at no cost at county health departments during the outbreak.

According to the CDC, the outbreak affecting men who have sex with men is caused by serogroup C. There is also an unrelated serogroup B cluster among college and university students in one county.

The meningococcal disease outbreak update comes as the CDC has been tracking an unusual outbreak of monkeypox in countries where the disease is not endemic, including the United States. The CDC reports has reported 142 orthopoxvirus cases in the United States, including 13 in Florida.

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The threat to the general US population is low, the CDC says, but there are notably high numbers of monkeypox cases among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men. “However, anyone who has been in close contact with someone who has monkeypox is at risk,” the CDC notes.


Five high-profile people who disappeared in China | The Week UK

The disappearance of Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai after she accused a senior Communist Party official of sexual assault has made headlines worldwide in recent weeks. Demands from international leaders for proof of her well-being show that while the Chinese government “has become extremely effective in controlling what the country’s 1.4bn people think and talk about”, influencing the rest of the world “is an entirely different matter”, said The New York Times columnist Li Yuan. Peng went missing for more than two weeks after claiming in a social media post that former vice premier Zhang Gaoli had “forced” her to have sexual relations with him. Amid growing global concern, the 35-year-old tennis champ spoke to the president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) during a 30-minute video call on Sunday. But while Peng insisted she was safe and well at her home in Beijing, experts told The Telegraph that she might have been abducted under the Chinese regime’s programme of “enforced disappearances”, known officially as RSDL – Residential Surveillance at a Designated Location. People who have criticised the Beijing regime often vanish “for several months, while they are interrogated in a nondescript government building”, said the paper. Many then “re-emerge in society with an outwardly different personality, their plucky mode of resistance replaced by a supine deference to Beijing authorities”. Here are five other high-profile people who have disappeared after falling foul of President Xi Jinping’s Communist Party. Zhao Wei One of China’s most popular actresses, Zhao disappeared from public view in August. Films and TV series in which she appeared were removed without explanation from video platforms, and her name was scrubbed from the Chinese internet. Her profile on social media platform Weibo – where she had accumulated 86 million followers – was also shut down. And social media users were censored when trying to discuss Zhao, the Chinese ambassador for luxury Italian fashion house Fendi. Skip advert Chinese state newspaper Global Times said that Zhao was “widely known as a billionaire investor surrounded with lawsuits” and that she and her husband had previously been banned from “China’s securities markets” for five years for market violations.

But according to Variety, her disappearance “epitomises many aspects of the Chinese government’s campaign to tear down fandom, celebrity and the driving forces behind them”. “Zhao Wei is like a poster child for what the Communist Party sees as what’s wrong with celebrity culture in China,” Stanley Rosen, a professor at the University of Southern California specialising in Chinese films and politics, told the magazine. “Going after her without offering a smoking-gun explanation as to why they did it will certainly make other celebrities extremely cautious and proactive in embracing regime goals. “It’s a demonstration that no one, no matter how wealthy or popular, is too big to pursue.” Whether Zhao is now “under house arrest” or just “keeping a low profile” is unclear, said The Guardian. She was reportedly spotted in her hometown in eastern China “posing for a photo” in September. And Chinese internet portal Netease has claimed that Zhao took part in a recent “online shopping event”. Jack Ma The billionaire entrepreneur behind e-commerce giant Alibaba went missing for three months shortly after criticising the Chinese financial system in a controversial speech in October last year. Ma told an audience including senior Chinese officials at the Bund Summit in Shanghai that traditional lenders operated with a “pawn shop” mentality. His criticisms “angered the banking establishment and reportedly reached the attention” of President Xi, said the BBC. China analyst Christina Boutrup told the broadcaster that Ma “apparently crossed the invisible red line for what can be said and done” in Xi’s China. Within a fortnight, Ma and two of his close colleagues were summoned to meet financial regulators, who halted the flotation of Ant Group – his financial technology firm and China's biggest payments provider. Ma wasn’t seen in public again until 20 January, when he took part in an online charity event for rural teachers. According to local media, the tycoon said he had been “studying and thinking, and we have become more determined to devote ourselves to education and public welfare”. He Jiankui The Chinese biophysicist went missing after telling a summit in Hong Kong that he had engineered the world’s first genetically edited babies. Addressing the Human Genome Editing Conference in November 2018, the scientist said that he felt “proud” of the historic feat. Skip advert But fellow scientists in China and worldwide “denounced” the work as “a step too far”, said The New York Times (NYT), with some dubbing him the “Chinese Frankenstein”.