Organisers confirm ‘Pride Match’ activities will take place
Seattle to host Egypt v Iran in Group G next summer
Plans to celebrate LGBTQ+ rights and freedoms in Seattle during next summer’s World Cup will continue despite objections from the Egyptian and Iranian football federations over the “Pride Match” due to take place in the city.
Seattle organisers have confirmed they are “moving forward as planned” with Pride activities in the city when Egypt face Iran in Group G on 26 June. Rainbow flags will also be allowed into the stadium by Fifa.
Homosexuality is illegal in Iran, and in Egypt morality laws are often used to prosecute LGBTQ+ people. This week the Egyptian football federation said it had written to Fifa’s general secretary to complain about the Pride Match, saying it did not want to be associated with celebrations that “directly contradict the cultural, religious and social values … in Arab and Islamic societies”. The head of Iran’s football federation, Mehdi Taj, was quoted by the local news agency ISNA as saying it too had raised “objections against the issue”.
