Grant Wahl, a journalist who made headlines after being detained by security for wearing a shirt featuring a soccer ball on a rainbow background to a World Cup match, died last Friday while covering the international soccer tournament.Â
Wahl, 48, reportedly fell ill in the press box at Lusail Iconic Stadium during extra time of the match between Argentina and the Netherlands and could not be revived.Â
Last Monday, he wrote on his Substack that “My body finally broke down on me,” prompting him to visit a medical clinic in Qatar.
“Three weeks of little sleep, high stress and lots of work can do that to you,” Wahl wrote. “What had been a cold over the last 10 days turned into something more severe on the night of the USA-Netherlands game, and I could feel my upper chest take on a new level of pressure and discomfort.”
Wahl reported that he had tested negative for COVID-19, and had received antibiotics and cough syrup to treat what was diagnosed as bronchitis. He said he felt a bit better with those treatments but still felt under the weather.
According to CNN, after Wahl fell ill, he received “immediate medical treatment on site” for about 20-25 minutes, according to World Cup organizers. He was then transported via Uber to Hamad General Hospital.
Wahl’s brother, Eric, who is gay, posted a video message on Instagram shortly after receiving news of his brother’s death, speculating that there may have been foul play and asking for help.
“I do not believe my brother just died,” Eric Wahl said. “My brother was healthy. He told me received death threats.”
Part of what may have led Eric to believe his brother was targeted was the attention he received after being detained by security last month while trying to enter the Nov. 21 United States-Wales World Cup match while wearing a rainbow soccer ball T-shirt supporting the LGBTQ community.
During that incident, Grant Wahl reported on his Substack that security guards had demanded he remove his T-shirt to enter the stadium, but he refused. Guards said the shirt was “political” and not allowed in the stadium. Wahl refused. Eventually, a security commander relented and allowed him to enter wearing the T-shirt.Â
“One of the security guards told me they were just trying to protect me from fans inside who could harm me for wearing the shirt,” Wahl reported. “But the entire episode left me wondering: What’s it like for ordinary Qataris who might wear a rainbow shirt when the world isn’t watching here? What’s that like?”
A representative for FIFA, the international governing body of soccer, later apologized to Wahl for the incident, but Wahl received a great deal of criticism and even death threats for wearing a symbol signifying support for the LGBTQ community in a country where homosexuality is criminalized. The very decision to allow Qatar to host the World Cup despite its hostility towards human rights generally, and the LGBTQ community specifically, has been criticized by liberals and Western nations.
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Eric Wahl told the Kansas City Star that he appreciated Grant’s decision to wear the shirt, which was in support of Eric, his husband, and other LGBTQ people, even though he feared his brother would face backlash for the demonstration. He has since said he regrets posting the video speculating about his brother’s death, but does not regret calling for transparency regarding the circumstances that led to it — especially given the threats Grant had received and his critical reporting on Qatar’s record of human rights.
“The chest pressure he experienced shortly before his death may have represented the initial symptoms. No amount of CPR or shocks would have saved him. His death was unrelated to COVID. His death was unrelated to vaccination status. There was nothing nefarious about his death,” Gounder wrote.
Such aneurysms become more common as people age, and are typically more common among men than women, according to the American Heart Association. Factors like genetics, inherited conditions, high blood pressure, sudden injury, high cholesterol, or a history of smoking may all contribute to aneurysms like the one suffered by Wahl, reports CNN.
“First and foremost, on behalf of myself and our family, I want to express our deepest gratitude for the outpouring of support, love, and sympathy from around the world,” Gounder wrote in a brief obituary reflecting on her husband’s life. “While the world knew Grant as a great journalist, we knew him as a man who approached the world with openness and love.
“Grant was an incredibly empathetic, dedicated, and loving husband, brother, uncle, and son who was our greatest teammate and fan,” Gounder added. “We will forever cherish the gift of his life; to share his company was our greatest love and source of joy.”
With Obergefell at risk and 32 states poised to restrict same-sex marriage, LGBTQ advocates push to enshrine protections at the state level.
By Maximilian Sandefer
August 6, 2025
On June 22, 2022, the Supreme Court issued a landmark decision with Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. Abortion rights were now no longer guaranteed nationwide as the issue was left up to the states. This shock reversal of over 49 years of precedent left reproductive rights activists scrambling as anti-choice state laws stemming from as far back as 1864 were revived and reinstituted.
As people's ability to access to reproductive care dwindled in conservative-led states, activists also found their footing. The 2024 election saw abortion rights ballot measures win in seven out of ten states. As we navigate a landscape where it will likely be a long time before we see any form of successful federal legislation protecting a woman's right to choose, state-by-state activism seems to be the driving force behind change.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has subpoenaed records from the Kilted Mermaid, a popular Vero Beach restaurant, as part of an investigation into a June 29 "Pride Tea Dance" featuring music, dancing, and drag shows.
Uthmeier's office claims the restaurant allowed "adult, sexualized performers in front of children," allegedly violating Florida's blocked law banning drag shows and other "adult live performances."
Announcing the probe on X, Uthmeier wrote, "In Florida, we don't sacrifice the innocence of children for the perversions of some demented adults." He said his office had subpoenaed Kilted Mermaid owner and Vero Beach Vice Mayor Linda Moore to testify and provide documents related to the event.
William James Wilson, of Fort Worth, Texas, has been charged with multiple hate crimes and assault offenses for allegedly attacking two same-sex couples at Detroit's MGM Grand hotel and casino earlier this month.
The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office said the attack happened just after 1 a.m. on July 13 as the couples stood in the MGM valet area.
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