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by HALLIE GOLDEN and ANDREW DESTIN Associated Press
SEATTLE — 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.
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It was just a coincidence that the city’s “Pride Match” ended up as a high-stakes matchup between Iran and Egypt — ultimately a 1-1 draw — 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. One man toted 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. Harbour said she’s glad these two countries were 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.”
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