Despite objections, rainbow flags dot Iran-Egypt match as Seattle celebrates Pride during World Cup

Rainbow flags flutter among the sea of Iranian and Egyptian banners at Seattle’s World Cup stadium, as teams from two of the most repressive countries for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people take 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 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 says 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.