Liverpool's new partnership with Maldives' government sparks backlash from LGBT+ fan group

Liverpool FC has announced a new partnership with the government of Maldives, through their tourism agency Visit Maldives. This multi-year agreement will allow Maldives to further increase their global awareness as a tourist destination, which has grown in the recent years, by showing their brand in the most watched Premier League side (a cumulative audience of 471 million last season, they said) and also the most followed on social media.

The statement says "It unites two world-renowned brands with a shared commitment to offering extraordinary experiences" and says that the collaboration will "leverage" their sustainability programme, The Red Way, "to raise awareness and drive positive action".

However, the agreement hasn't sit well with Kops Out, Liverpool's LGBT+ Fans Group. They have issued an statement on Bluesky, condemning the partnership and expressing "their profound anger & disappointment given Maldives' appalling human rights record" and asking fans to protest, as it shows that Liverpool prioritises profit over ethical practices with another example of 'sportwashing'.

They feel that this partnership "directly contradicts the club's stated commitment to equality & inclusion", because the muslim country persecutes and discriminates the LGBT+ collective, including the criminalization of same-sex relations with fines, imprisonment and lashing.

Kops Out also points that Maldivian government has been involved in major corruptions scandals, with millions of dollars meant for tourism development were instead embezzled. And that's not all: other human rights violations include the practice of female genital mutilation and restrictions of freedom of expression and association.

The group says that they will not stand by as long as this partnerships continues, and calls for the immediate termination of the deal, a publicly reaffirmation about its commitment to LGBT+ rights and human rights, and engaging in meaningful dialogue with Kop Outs and other fan groups.