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Esther González Deletes Photos of Wife After Moving to Saudi Arabia
🇸🇪 Sweden /Sports

Esther González Deletes Photos of Wife After Moving to Saudi Arabia

From Svenska Dagbladet · () Swedish

Translated from Swedish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Spanish footballer Esther González deleted photos of her wife and son from social media after signing with Saudi Arabian club Al-Qadisiyah, according to El Mundo.
  • RFSL chair Lovise Brade said LGBTQ people face severe repression in Saudi Arabia but argued criticism should focus primarily on the government and sports institutions.
  • Brade said international sports bodies should apply more pressure and avoid awarding major tournaments to countries that violate human rights.

Esther González’s social media once showed her life with her wife, Estefanina Cruz, and their son. After the Spanish footballer signed for Saudi Arabian club Al-Qadisiyah, those family pictures disappeared, according to El Mundo.

The criticism must be directed in the right direction.

— Lovise BradeThe RFSL chair said criticism should focus primarily on Saudi Arabia and sports institutions, rather than only on González.

González has won the World Cup and the Nations League with Spain. She and Cruz are married and have a son. Her decision to remove the images followed intense criticism from LGBTQ rights groups over her move to Saudi Arabia.

Lovise Brade, chair of Sweden’s RFSL, said the conditions for LGBTQ people in Saudi Arabia are “horrific” and described the country as one of the worst in the world for LGBTQ rights. Human Rights Watch says authorities actively repress LGBTQ people. Although Saudi Arabia has no written law specifically banning same-sex marriage, its courts use Islamic law to punish people suspected of same-sex relationships. Cybercrime laws can also be used against same-sex relationships or online contacts.

The conditions for LGBTQI people in Saudi Arabia are horrific. It is one of the absolute worst countries in the world.

— Lovise BradeShe described the risks facing LGBTQ people in Saudi Arabia.

Brade said she understood why people were disappointed with González, particularly because she had previously been open about her family. At the same time, she said the main criticism should target Saudi Arabia’s government and the sports institutions that reward it. Brade argued that anyone who claims to support human rights should oppose offers that help “sportswash dictatorships,” even when substantial sums of money are involved.

It is clear that one can be disappointed in someone who was open and then, it seems, chooses a lucrative offer over standing up for that part of herself.

— Lovise BradeShe explained why González’s decision had angered LGBTQ advocates.

She also called on international sports organizations to take a harder line against countries such as Russia, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. In her view, those bodies should pressure governments that violate human rights instead of rewarding them with major tournaments.

It is important to show civil courage and say no to offers to take part in sportswashing dictatorships, even if a lot of money may be involved.

— Lovise BradeShe urged athletes and others to reject lucrative deals linked to authoritarian governments.
About this summary

Originally published by Svenska Dagbladet in Swedish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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