The idea

During the 2022 World Cup, Qatar’s LGBTQ+ football fans could not safely form a public supporters’ group. So we helped create one outside the country instead.

The Proud Maroons was an international LGBTQ+ supporters’ group for Qatar’s national team, named after the team’s nickname, The Maroons. It gave people around the world a way to show the pride and support that local fans could not safely express. It is probably the only supporters’ club designed so its least visible members were the entire point.

My bit

I worked on The Proud Maroons as The Head of Creative Technology with the team at the community.

Did it work?

64 clubs and organizations joined, the work generated more than 2.33 billion impressions. Anonymous LGBTQ+ Qataris also shared accounts of persecution connected to the initiative.

Shiny things

  • 2023 ANDY Award — Bravery
  • 2023 One Show — Merit, Creative Effectiveness
  • 2023 Cannes Lions — PR shortlist

People who made it happen

The Alwan Foundation and the community.

Elsewhere on the internet

More images