Peter Tatchell has staged an LGBT+ protest inside Seattle’s Lumen Field, during the Iran v Egypt World Cup “Pride Match”, condemning FIFA for allowing two countries that ban gay footballers to compete in a fixture branded around inclusion.
Shortly after the start of the match, Tatchell stood up inside the stadium and displayed a placard reading: ‘Iran & Egypt ban gay footballers. It’s against FIFA rules.’ There was a bid by officials to stop Tatchell’s protest.
Protest for inclusion
Peter Tatchell, CEO of the Peter Tatchell Foundation, said: “When I unveiled my placard shortly before kick-off, officials got in a huddle with ground staff.
“They were sent to my seat and ordered me to give them the placard, saying it was prohibited.
“I refused to hand it over, saying that FIFA and the Seattle organising committee had authorised LGBT+ messages. The staff then went away to consult further with officials.
“They returned and said I could keep my protest placard but must not leave my seat.”
Iran and Egypt are two of the 11 World Cup nations identified by the Peter Tatchell Foundation as criminalising homosexuality and operating what Tatchell describes as a “de facto ban on gay footballers” in their national teams.
The 11 countries are: Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Ghana, Senegal, Qatar, Tunisia, Morocco, Iraq, Uzbekistan and Algeria.
In a press conference on 25 June, Iran’s head coach, Amir Ghalenoei, admitted that LGBT+ matters are, “banned in our league,” implying that gay players are not permitted, which is against FIFA’s anti-discrimination rules for the World Cup.
Tatchell said: “This is a Pride Match between two countries where homosexuality is criminalised.
“That is the glaring contradiction FIFA refuses to confront. These countries, because of their official state-sanctioned homophobia, have a de facto ban on gay footballers in their World Cup teams.
“A gay footballer good enough to play for Iran or Egypt would be more likely to face imprisonment than selection for the national squad.
“FIFA’s own rules prohibit discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation. Yet FIFA is allowing countries that criminalise homosexuality to compete without requiring them to confirm that gay players are eligible for selection.”
Tatchell continued: “It is welcome that FIFA has confirmed rainbow flags are allowed at the Iran v Egypt match.
“LGBT+ fans must be free to show visible support without intimidation or censorship. But rainbow flags in the stands are not enough if gay players are excluded from the pitch.
“FIFA is protecting LGBT+ visibility for spectators while failing to protect gay footballers. LGBT+ fans may be welcome as spectators, but FIFA has failed to ensure gay players are welcome as footballers.”