SEATTLE (AP) — Rainbow flags fluttered among the sea of Iranian and Egyptian banners at Seattle’s World Cup stadium Friday, as teams from two of the most repressive countries for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people took to the field.
It was just a coincidence that the city’s “Pride Match” ended up as a high-stakes matchup between Iran and Egypt — with advancement from Group G still up in the air — and it came come with plenty of pushback
from both countries. But Seattle officials and its soccer community say the distinctive pairing was an opportunity to showcase the city’s inclusivity as well as the common ground that can be found at the World Cup.
Some milled about the stadium with Pride Match scarves, while others had painted their faces with rainbows or clutched free flags handed out by a human rights organization. A man heading to his seat held a large sign that spelled out PRIDE as an acronym: “Proud, Respectful, Inclusive, Diverse, Egyptian.”
Stacy Harbour works for an LGBTQ+ nonprofit invited by the local organizing committee and brought 20 young people to the match, handing them “goody bags” filled with Pride face paint, flags and headbands. Harbour said she’s glad these two countries are the ones competing.
“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,” she said. “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.”
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 asked that the celebrations be canceled. In a statement 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.
The pre-match festivities on the field did not include any references to Pride. But FIFA treats the rainbow flag as a statement of human rights, according to Hana Tadesse, a spokesperson for Seattle’s World Cup organizing committee, and allowed fans to wave it inside the stadium.
Anthony Vega, 50, stood outside the stadium more than three hours before kickoff, waving a large rainbow flag that he planned to bring inside. 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.
Paul Kahl, a West Seattle native who wore a purple shirt in support of Pride, said he didn't experience any issues getting into the stadium.
“I think there’s a difference between the fans of a country versus the government of a country. And, their government’s not here,” he said. “Their fans are here to see the game. It’s the World Cup. You leave your politics at the door.”
When asked Thursday about the Pride celebration, Egypt coach Hossam Hassan said the team was focused on soccer.
“We are concerned with football on the pitch,” he said in Arabic. “We respect fair play and rules for everybody to abide by.”
The match coincides with Seattle’s annual celebration of the LGBTQ+ community and Pride watch parties are planned in some neighborhoods. Over the weekend, the city will hold its popular Pride parade.
Sara Bunn, who identifies as pansexual, started to tear up, standing outside the stadium with a Pride flag wrapped around her shoulders and a shirt that said, “Trans People Belong.”
“This is like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Bunn said, “and it’s really cool to be able to be a part of it and be a part of history of us being able to be represented.”
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