Women’s World Cup press conference cut short after reporter’s ‘political’ question

A reporter’s question has been decried as “out of line” and “unethical” during a press conference leading into a Women’s World Cup clash between Germany and Morocco.

With Moroccan captain Ghizlane Chebbak facing media ahead of the North African nation’s historic World Cup debut, one reporter from the BBC World Service asked whether there were gay players in the Moroccan squad.

“We know that gay marriage is illegal (in Morocco), are there any gay players in the team, and what is it like for them,” the reporter asked.

It came after another question about defender Nouhaila Benzina, who will become the first player to wear a hijab at a senior women’s football tournament, being brushed off by Chebbak.

Women’s football has historically acted as a safe haven for LGBTQ+ communities and openly embraced queer players in a way that is unique from many male professional codes, but homosexuality remains illegal in Morocco, punishable by up to three to five years imprisonment and a fine of 1,200 dirhams ($184 AUD).

The question was shut down by a FIFA moderator, reminding media that they were not there to discuss politics, but The Athletic’s Steph Yang said that Moroccan media were “audibly dismayed” at the question.

Yang slammed the question on social media afterwards, saying that while it was “vital” to talk about the intersection of sport and politics, “we should take care that our questions don’t cause further harm to those impact by those very politics.”

“From a harm reduction perspective, this is not an appropriate question for a player and would have endangered the players themselves,” Yang wrote.

Tasmanian journalist Molly Appleton said the question demonstrated “why you need diversity in journalism”.

“This is your