Pride Month is important because it shows that everyone, regrdless of their sexual orientation, are equal. They aren't beneath others because of the lifestyle.
Sport also follows this trend. Various sporting bodies employ various methods to show their support. The World Cup followed suit with a Pride match. The match in question, however, goes against the values othe countries that will participate in the match.
There are more than 200 countries that compete in FIFA, but when Seattle decided to turn a crucial World Cup group finale into an unofficial Pride Match; the football gods delivered the ultimate punchline.
The perimeter of Lumen Field was dotted with rainbows on Friday, ahead of a World Cup match between teams representing two of the most repressive countries for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
It was just a coincidence that the city’s "Pride Matc" ended up as a high-stakes matchup between Iran and Egypt — with advancement from Group G still up in the air — and the move has come with plenty of pushback from both countries. But Seattle officials and its soccer community say this distinctive pairing is an opportunity to showcase the city’s inclusivity as well as the common ground that can be found at the World Cup.
Iran versus Egypt. OutKick headed to Lumen Field to see what happened when Seattle's culture war met the Middle East.
It's because this is Seattle, the local organising committee designated the 26 June Group G finale as the city's official "Pride Match Day."
Out of all the countries that could have landed in this slot, the tournament draw delivered two federations you absolutely wouldn't expect to headline a match during "Pride Weekend," as the organising committee in Seattle, SeattleFWC26, has called it.
Same-sex relations are illegal in Iran, where gay men have been executed on sodomy charges; while Egypt has prosecuted gay and lesbian people and suppressed outward expressions of gay pride; including rainbow flags. The countries complained to FIFA in December about the "Pride Match" and have asked that the celebrations be canceled.
In a statement on Friday, Iran’s federation said it had made its position clear to FIFA in multiple letters and meetings and was assured "that no ceremonies or promotional activities related to this issue will take place inside the stadium or as part of the official match programme."
"Iran and Egypt are two Muslim countries with deep cultural and religious commonalities, and the views expressed by both federations reflect the shared values and beliefs of the people of the two nations," Iran’s federation said in the Friday statement.
FIFA treats the rainbow flag as a statement of human rights and will allow fans to wave it inside the stadium, according to Hana Tadesse, a spokesperson for Seattle’s World Cup organising committee.
Unsurprisingly, neither federation wanted any part of it. Both urged FIFA to distance the match from Pride messaging.
Egypt "categorically" rejected activities promoting homosexuality, while Iran said FIFA should respect its cultural values. Rumours even circulated that players might refuse to play.
FIFA's response? Kick rocks. The governing body refused to restrict Pride displays, giving fans the green light to bring rainbow flags and symbols into the stadium.
Walking the concourses at Lumen, the Pride branding was largely drowned out by a sea of Egyptian and Iranian flags. Most Iranian supporters waved the pre-1979 Sun and Lion flag associated with the opposition rather than the Islamic Republic's official flag.
One Pride supporter said that their presence was as much about supporting the Iranian people as it was about celebrating Pride.
"I'm supporting the Iranian people and the protest movement," they said. "The chants you hear from people with the megaphones today are the same chants protesters wanted the rest of the world to hear. That's why this organisation is called Voice of Iran ... we're here to amplify those voices."
As volunteers unfurled giant Egyptian and Iranian flags across the field during the national anthems, scattered jeers greeted Iran's anthem while Egypt's drew louder applause.
Outside Lumen Field, it was a circus. At times, the scene barely resembled an American city.
On the Pride stuff, those sporting the rainbow (and trans) flag had some interesting takes on celebrating with the Iranian and Egyptian squads coming to visit.Fans give their takes on Pride, Iran and Egypt...
"I think it's great for exhibiting the culture of the United States, which is inclusive and diverse," one fan wearing a rainbow Oregon Ducks shirt told OutKick.
"I'm rooting for goals," he said. "Goals," he repeated. Hard to argue with that analysis.
Speaking to the Pride supporters, the consensus on Friday was that these Muslim-majority countries should embrace the values Pride represents. One Pride supporter said that if fans were expected to respect Qatar's rules during the 2022 World Cup, Iran and Egypt should respect Seattle's.
"Seattle is a very Pride-focused city," the man said, wearing a "Gay of Hormuz" shirt. "These are the values we support here," he added. "People respected the local rules in Qatar, whether that meant no Pride flags or no drinking in the stadiums. The same should apply here. Pride flags belong in the stadium, and the teams should just play."
Anthony Vega,stood outside the stadium more than three hours before kickoff, waving a large rainbow flag. At his first World Cup match after winning the ticket lottery, he said he thought more people would be outside with Pride flags.
"If one or two kids in Iran or Egypt see who we really are as Americans and how we are accepting, especially here in my home, that could change the lives for a lot of people, or them," said Vega, who celebrated his first Pride in 1991.
People milled about clutching small rainbow flags from the human rights organisation, Outright International. "This flag stands with LGBTIQ people facing violence, criminalsation and erasure around the world," it read in part.
Just when it looked like Iran had found a dramatic stoppage-time winner, VAR ruled the goal offside. For all the protesting and political fervor, the universe chose an anticlimax, and the match finished in a 1-1 draw.
After the match, Iran star Mehdi Taremi was asked about LGBTQ fans and responded: "We respect all of the LGBT people."
The result sent Egypt to the knockout stage for the first time ever; while Iran was left waiting to see whether three points would be enough to advance as one of the tournament's best third-place teams.
In the end, everyone left with a point. Turns out the only thing Egypt and Iran could agree on was the final score.
The match on Friday coincides with Seattle’s annual celebration of the LGBTQ+ community and Pride watch parties are planned in some neighbourhoods. Over the weekend, the city will hold its popular Pride parade.
Stacy Harbour, who works for an LGBTQ+ non-profit that was invited by the local organsing committee and brought 20 young people to the match, handing them "goody bags" filled with Pride face paint, flags and headbands. Harbour, who lives in Seattle, said she’s glad these two countries are the ones competing.
"If we’re going to have any game on Seattle Pride weekend, lets have this one," she said. "There are groups of folks that live here in Seattle that are of Egyptian, Iranian descent. This is their opportunity to represent their intersectional identities. This is an opportunity to show the world what Seattle is. And Seattle is an inclusive city. We always have been, we always will be."
FIFA treats the rainbow flag as a statement of human rights and will allow fans to wave it inside the stadium, according to Hana Tadesse, a spokesperson for Seattle’s World Cup organising committee.
I believe that FIFA made a mistake in making the above match as the "Pride Match." While I'd support the match, you shouldn't apply it countries that forbid the act/s.
Both countries have to be admired for sticking to their morals. Morals should be kept on all grounds and not to be manipulated or compromised with.