England To Fly To World Cup On "Pride Jet"

England’s men’s football team are flying to the World Cup onboard the Gay Pride jet in a gesture of solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community.

The team’s manager Gareth Southgate and captain Harry Kane will lead the squad on board "Rain Bow," a Virgin Atlantic A350 Airbus, according to the Evening Standard.

The plane, with the registration G-VPRD, an abbreviation of “pride,” features Oscar, a cartoon mascot who has rainbow-themed trainers. According to the Sun, the plane was chosen to register concern about gay rights.

A source told the paper: “It’s no coincidence this particular plane was chosen. It perfectly illustrates the concerns of the England party and those of every civilized nation taking part in the tournament.”

Last week, England's manager Gareth Southgate said it was “highly unlikely” his squad would comply with a FIFA instruction that teams not raise what it called “political” concerns. He said: “We stand for inclusivity, and we're very, very strong on that. We think that's important in terms of all our supporters and we understand the challenges that this tournament brings within that.”

Harry Kane will wear a "OneLove" rainbow armband during the tournament as part of an anti-discrimination initiative.

The United States is also among the teams making a gesture about the country’s draconian human rights record, by unveiling a rainbow-themed team logo at their training facility on Monday.

Germany’s team will also fly out on an Airbus A330 with the message “diversity wins” across its fuselage.

Last week, one of the country’s ambassadors for the tournament, Khalid Salman, called homosexuality “damage in the mind,” sparking renewed anger.

James Cleverly, the UK's Foreign Secretary defended attending the tournament along with comments he made urging LGBTQ+ fans to “respect” Qatar’s laws. He said: “I've visited Qatar in the lead-up to the World Cup and when I go to the World Cup, I will be speaking to the security authorities to ensure that English and Welsh and whatever other British fans who are going to the World Cup remain safe.”

Read related myGwork articles here:

England Star Beth Mead: “No Respect” In Qatar Ahead Of World Cup

Wales Footballers “Free To Speak Out” About Qatar Human Rights

England Footballer Harry Kane Backs LGBTQ+ Fans Ahead Of Qatar World Cup

Gay Footballer Josh Cavallo Would Be “Scared” To Play At World Cup In Qatar