BBC Apologizes After Reporter Pressed Morocco Women's Soccer Team Captain If She Has Gay Teammates

Same-sex relationships are still illegal in Morocco

A BBC reporter is being condemned after posing “inappropriate” and potentially harmful questions to the captain of the Morocco women’s national team. The British news organization apologized on the reporters' behalf on Tuesday.

Ahead of their 2023 World Cup debut game against Germany on Monday, the Morocco women’s national team appeared at a media conference where one question from a BBC journalist, directed toward captain Ghizlane Chebbak, caused palpable tension in the room.

“In Morocco, it’s illegal to have a gay relationship. Do you have any gay players in your squad and what’s life like for them in Morocco?” the reporter asked on Saturday. The press conference moderator then quickly interjected.

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“Sorry, this is a very political question, so we’ll just stick to questions relating to football,” the moderator responded.

“No, it’s not political,” the journalist countered. “It’s about people, it’s got nothing to do with politics. Please let her answer the question.”

Per NBC, Chebbak removed her earpiece before turning to her coach and laughing. The moderator ignored the question and allowed a final question from a different reporter before concluding the presser.

In a statement to PEOPLE, a BBC spokesperson said: “We recognise that the question was inappropriate. We had no intention to cause any harm or distress.”

According to Human Rights Watch, Morocco is one of at least 67 countries where same-sex intimacy is criminalized. Moroccans who violate the law could face six months to three years in prison and a fine of up to 1000 dirhams.

Shireen Ahmed, a reporter for CBS Sports who attended Saturday's media conference, took to Twitter to criticize the BBC reporter’s choice in question, which she described as “completely out of line.”

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“Asking a player about her teammates and whether they are gay and how it affects them when you know it is not permissible is bizarre and out of line. The captain can not out players nor comment on policy bc it could be dangerous for them, too,” another one of her tweets read.

“I am absolutely teaching this in my class in the fall,” the CBS journalist added, “why understanding context and struggles from marginalized communities matters.”

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Ahmed was responding to a post by Steph Yang, a Women's soccer staff writer at The Athletic, who also wrote online about being at the conference.

“One reporter here asked directly if there are gay players on the Moroccan squad, given same-sex relationships are illegal in Morocco. From a harm reduction perspective, this is not an appropriate question for a player and would have endangered the players themselves,” Yang tweeted.

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According to a report by CNN, a FIFA representative addressed the BBC journalist on site immediately after the press conference ended.

Morocco was defeated by Germany on Monday, ending the game with a score of 6-0.

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