Seattle World Cup organisers say Pride events will go ahead outside Egypt-Iran match
Sign up now: Get the biggest sports news in your inbox
Egypt’s Football Association had sent a letter to FIFA urging the body to prevent any LGBTQ+ Pride-related activities during the national team’s Seattle game.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Follow topic:
SEATTLE – World Cup organisers in Seattle said on Dec 10 that their Pride events would go ahead as planned outside a June match in the city between Egypt and Iran, despite objections from sports officials in the two countries where homosexuality is criminalised.
The World Cup committee in Seattle said it would use what it has named the “Pride Match”
But the organising group stressed that it worked only on events outside the 72,000-seat Seattle Stadium where Egypt and Iran are scheduled to play.
“SeattleFWC26 is moving forward as planned with our community programming outside the stadium during Pride weekend and throughout the tournament,” said Hana Tadesse, vice-president of communications for the committee. “We don't control what happens on the pitch or in the stadium; that’s Fifa’s domain.”
The complaints by the football associations of Iran and Egypt highlight tensions between World Cup rules promoting anti-discrimination, inclusivity and neutrality on political and social matters, and the tournament’s aim to respect the cultures of host countries.
Egypt’s football association on Dec 9 said it had sent a letter to Fifa urging the body to prevent any LGBTQ+ Pride-related activities during the national team’s Seattle game, arguing the activities would clash with the cultural and religious values of the two nations playing.
Mehdi Taj, president of the Iranian Football Federation, also called it an “irrational move that supports a certain group”.
The fixture was designated a “Pride Match” by the local World Cup organising committee, which is not affiliated with Fifa, long before the teams were drawn to play one another.
“With hundreds of thousands of visitors and billions of viewers worldwide, this is a once-in-a-lifetime moment to showcase and celebrate LGBTQIA+ communities in Washington,” the Seattle committee said.
June is Pride Month across the United States. But since returning to office in January, President Donald Trump has issued executive orders limiting transgender rights, banning transgender people from serving in the armed forces, and rescinding anti-discrimination policies for LGBTQ+ people as part of a campaign to repeal diversity, equity and inclusion programmes.
In Egypt, Amnesty International has noted authorities prosecute individuals for their sexual orientation. Under Iranian law, according to Human Rights Watch, same-sex relations can be punished by flogging and, for men, death.
The controversy echoes the dispute over “ OneLove” armbands at the 2022 World Cup
