Outright International to Distribute Pride Flags in Solidarity With World Cup Pride Match Day in Seattle

The flags will be distributed throughout the city to fans who may be attending the match and neighborhood watch parties as a visible show of solidarity with LGBTIQ people around the world. Outright International has a longstanding presence in Seattle and a history of partnership with Seattle businesses, leaders, and organizations to support local and global LGBTIQ communities.

“Visibility matters,” said Maria Sjödin, Executive Director of Outright International. “Pride is now being celebrated in more than 100 countries, including this weekend in Seattle. For many LGBTIQ people, seeing a Pride flag in public is a reminder that they are not alone, and that their rights and dignity are recognized.”

The match takes place during Seattle’s annual Pride weekend and has drawn attention because 65 countries still criminalize same-sex intimacy and Egypt and Iran, the countries that will be playing, have laws that severely restrict the rights and safety of LGBTIQ people. Outright’s presence is about standing with LGBTIQ people who too often are forced into silence or invisibility.

“Sports bring the world together, and that must include LGBTIQ people,” said Sjödin. “Football is the most popular and prevalent sport on the planet, and in every country where people play and enjoy soccer, LGBTIQ people are a part of the community. Seattle’s Pride Match Day celebrations - including fans waving Pride flags - are more than one moment of visibility. These activations have already reverberated across the region and can help inspire meaningful solidarity and action across the globe.”

Outright works with partners around the world to advance rights for LGBTIQ people, including in countries where activists face criminalization, violence, and restrictions on organizing. The Pride Match Day celebrations in Seattle are an opportunity to affirm that global events should reflect the full diversity of the world they convene. Beyond Seattle, Outright’s March For All campaign offers another way to celebrate Pride across borders by marching for someone who cannot do so safely - or to ask someone to march for you.

“This is about standing with LGBTIQ people everywhere,” said Sjödin. “Nobody should be criminalized because of who they are or who they love, and no country has achieved full equality. At a global event like the FIFA World Cup, visibility is a way to affirm that LGBTIQ people belong in every country, every community, and every stadium.”