SEATTLE — The Seattle host-city committee’s “Pride Match” label will not feature in the official branding for tonight’s game between Iran and Egypt at Lumen Field, as FIFA has not endorsed it.
“I think they’ve always been aware of what we’re doing,” stated Louise Chernin, chair of the organizing committee’s Pride Match Impact Council, who began planning for the event nearly 18 months ago.
Chernin kicked off her match day at Rough & Tumble, a women’s sports bar located in Ballard, a neighborhood known for its Scandinavian roots. There, a crowd had assembled to support Norway in its match against France. The establishment was distinctly devoid of FIFA’s commercial presence, with World Cup posters and merchandise created by local artists, featuring no official logos.
This scenario highlighted how the “Pride Match” serves as a subtle opposition not only to FIFA’s history of restricting expressions of LGBTQ+ rights but also to the corporate uniformity it enforces in host cities through stringent sponsorship regulations.
“If there’s going to be revenue spent, let us bring it to LGBTQ-owned businesses,” remarked Chernin, who has long been associated with the Greater Seattle Business Association, an LGBTQ+ chamber of commerce.
Nearby, a “regnbue” street festival — “rainbow” in Danish and Norwegian — organized by a local Ballard business association attracted fans. The Norway-France game was broadcast on a large screen, but during halftime, attendees opted out of listening to the Fox ads.
Instead, DJ SummerSoft took over the stage, while Sativa the Queen, a local drag performer, entertained the crowd during the break.
