David Beckham called 'hypocrite' by LGBTQ community for gay footballer support, Qatar endorsement

Football legend David Beckham is being slammed by some members of the LGBTQ community for allegedly being a "hypocrite" after he expressed support towards gay footballer Jake Daniels, who recently came out to reveal his sexual orientation.

The issue stems largely from the fact that Beckham is also one of the handsomely paid celebrity endorsers for the upcoming FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted by Qatar this winter.

Beckham, who shot to fame after a stellar playing career with the likes of Manchester United and Real Madrid, was also once the captain of the England men's national football team. He has since retired and established himself as a fashion icon, entrepreneur and owner of Major League Soccer franchise Inter Miami.

When Daniels, a 17-year-old Blackpool midfielder, revealed that he is gay, Beckham said, "It's a shame that when someone does come out that it's such a strange thing. I've always felt that way about when someone does come out, it shouldn't be."

He further added in a statement quoted by Marca: "At the end of the day there will be a huge amount of gay people in sports, and why should they be any different from anyone else?"

While it seems like a heartfelt statement of support, LGBTQ magazine Attitude called him out for his involvement with the World Cup in Qatar. They pointed out the fact that same-sex relationships are banned in Qatar and much of the Middle East. Not only that, members of the community are persecuted in these places often simply for their sexuality.

"Beckham asks why gay people in sport should be any different to anyone else. One reason that David might consider is that in many places around the world queer people are not only marginalised and oppressed but also persecuted. One such place is Qatar, a country that he is about to become the face of," said Attitude.

Indeed, Beckham was spotted in Doha earlier this month doing promotional events with members of the Paris Saint-Germain Football Club, which is incidentally owned by the state of Qatar. He has so far not made any comment about the alleged human rights issues that are being brought up against the country.