I’m awake at 5:00 AM on a Tuesday morning to deliver shocking news: Muslim nations and their cultures don’t like LGBT “pride.”

I know that this is a shocking development that could not have been foreseen. It’s not like we’ve had centuries of behavior to observe in order to give us any indication of how they might react. No one could have possibly guessed that Qatar, which is hosting the World Cup, wouldn’t be keen on flaunting the whole LGBT thing.

That’s led to surprise developments like this.

Just now: Security guard refusing to let me into the stadium for USA-Wales. “You have to change your shirt. It’s not allowed.” pic.twitter.com/TvSGThMYq8

— Subscribe to GrantWahl.com (@GrantWahl) November 21, 2022

That’s just one of dozens upon dozens of examples I’ve seen go viral on social media. The US men’s soccer team was also forced to ditch its rainbow-clad logo. Why they were going to wear one in the first place, I’m not sure, but apparently, every single public happening must be an LGBT pride event now. Regardless, the problem here isn’t that some people might want to represent a specific thing they support. The problem is traveling to a far-off land with a completely different set of cultural values and expecting them to roll over.

Contrary to many people on the left, including those in the media and the Biden administration who consistently bend the knee to the Qataris, I’m not a fan. I’ve written pieces criticizing their meddling in US politics.

Yet, that doesn’t change the reality on the ground. I may not like how Qatar operates as a county, but I’m also not delusional enough to think I can disrespect their culture while on their turf. Not ever nation is westernized. Not every nation believes that anything goes. I mean, what did people expect to happen? Did they really think Qatar would be fine with rainbow shirts everywhere, essentially spitting on their most deeply held beliefs?

It was a choice to hold the World Cup in Qatar. If the goal was to have a westernized experience, complete with turning the spectacle into an LGBT pride event, then you hold it in a Western nation. That wasn’t the decision that got made, though, and decisions have consequences. Besides, isn’t it the left that’s constantly preaching about respecting other cultures?

Qatar is a fundamentalist, Muslim nation. Religion is at the core of their governance. They believe the entire LGBT gambit is an affront to everything they believe in. You don’t have to agree with that to understand that it’s their country and that they get to dictate the culture.

The way to fight back against that would have been to deny them the World Cup or to boycott the games once they were committed to being there. The way not to fight that is to cry on Twitter that you had to change your shirt.