You Can't Stop Pride

In Germany, Munich’s Allianz Arena [above] has worn the colors of the LGBTQ+ Rainbow flag, and looks beautiful doing so, the last time during the city’s Christopher Street Days pride celebration. But citing a policy on “political and religious neutrality”, the Union of European Football Associations [UEFA ] forbid the planned protest lights.

Not so good, the surge of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in Hungary—desperate I guess to follow Russia’s lead—which has targeted that country’s LGBTQ population under authoritarian leader Viktor Orban. The country recently passed a banning the “promotion” of LGBTQ identities to minors, among other hate-filled new rules, like that age old chestnut of comparing homosexuality to pedophilia.

And that lead to Allianz Arena wanting to display the rainbow during a recent soccer game between Germany and Hungary, which lead to UEFA saying, ‘No’ which lead to other German Stadiums going all full rainbow and soccer fans filling Allianz Arena with Rainbow flags and rainbow face paint and rainbow arm bands.

Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand spoke to the German press about blocking the rainbow:

“The rainbow colors are a tribute to diversity and to the fact that we are all equal. It has nothing to do with politics. I pay respect to the fact that [German team captain] Manuel Neuer and the German national team want to take social responsibility [and] I find it shameful that UEFA forbids us to send a sign for cosmopolitanism, tolerance, respect and solidarity with the people of the LGBT community,” 

A fan in a German soccer jersey ran onto the field waving a Pride flag as the Hungarian national anthem was played; Rainbow flags were flown by fans throughout the stadium and a collection of soccer stadiums throughout Germany lit up their buildings in rainbow lights during the match.

Many in the soccer world pointed out the hypocrisy of the UEFA, because the organization inserted a rainbow Pride flag into its logo for Pride month saying that, “for the UEFA, the rainbow is not a political symbol, but a sign of our firm commitment to a more diverse and inclusive society.”

But they called it a political statement in Munich. Apparently the UEFA is one of those pro-LGBTQ+ groups only during Pride month? Still, try as they might, Hungary and the UEFA, Pride, and the rainbow, were all over the stadium during the game. 

Oh, and Hungarian leader Viktor Orban canceled his plans to be at the game because, well, homophobes are chickenshits.

So, again, the Rainbow won.

Towleroad