🔗 Share this article The City of Seattle's LGBTQ+ Pride Will Go Ahead for World Cup In Spite of Formal Protests by Iran and Egypt Arrangements to hold LGBTQ+ rights events and activities throughout the city during next summer’s FIFA World Cup tournament will continue as scheduled, even after the Egyptian and Iranian soccer associations voiced objections about a scheduled “Pride Match.” Stadium Policy Alongside External Festivities Seattle's planning committee have confirmed they are “proceeding as planned” with celebratory programming outside the stadium. These events will take place around the tournament group match between Egypt and Iran on June 26th. Additionally, FIFA will permit Pride flags inside the stadium. “In our role as hosts, our primary task is to get the city ready to welcome visitors for the matches and oversee the city experience beyond the match venue,” stated a committee representative. Legal Context of Formal Complaints Homosexuality is illegal under Iranian law, while in Egypt, morality laws are frequently employed to prosecute LGBTQ+ people. Egypt's football association declared it did not want to be associated with events that “directly contradict the social, religious and cultural values … in Arab and Islamic societies.” Similarly, Iran’s football federation also raised “its opposition against the issue.” FIFA's Stance Regarding Flags and Banners Fifa maintains operational control over match venues during games. Although it prohibits banners and flags with overtly political content, it permits flags expressing “social and sporting symbols,” a category which includes the Pride flag. This regulation was applied at the previous World Cup in Qatar and was reinforced after incidents of authorities confiscating flags. This special fixture was an idea created to highlight the city's longstanding tradition of championing equality. An artistic competition has been commissioned to produce artwork to commemorate the event. Planners have pledged to making sure every visitor are welcomed in the city during the tournament. The Pacific Northwest hosts one of the nation’s largest Iranian-American communities, a thriving Egyptian diaspora, and diverse populations from every competing country. “Our commitment is to guaranteeing all residents and visitors experience the hospitality, dignity, and respect that characterizes our part of the country,” the statement concluded.