Germany and Hungary might play their final Euro 2020 Group Stage match at the Allianz Arena lit up in rainbow colours.
Munich’s Mayor Dieter Reiter said that he was going to write to UEFA and seek permission for Munich’s Allianz Arena to be lit up with rainbow colours in order to show their support to the LGBTQ+ community and advocate for their rights.
“This is an important sign of tolerance and equality,” Reiter told news agency DPA.
However, the show of support also has a deeper context to it concerning the match against Hungary. Lawmakers in the nation of Hungary recently passed a law which restricts people form sharing any content promoting homosexuality or sex reassignment surgery with minors.
Human rights groups have denounced the law for being anti-LGBTQ and causing discrimination against them. It is being viewed as yet another regressive step for Hungary under Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his right-wing party Fidesz.
As a result, the Munich City Council called for the stadium to be lit in the rainbow colours when Hungary visit the city to contest the final Euro 2020 match as a form of protest.
“The Bavarian state capital supports diversity, tolerance and genuine equality in sport and in society,” read the motion. “On the occasion of the match between Germany and Hungary, the council wishes to send a visible message of solidarity to the LGBT community in Hungary, which is suffering under recent legislation passed by the Hungarian government.
“This law represents a new nadir in the disenfranchisement of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people, the latest in a series of measures over the years which constitute a systematic restriction of the rule of law and basic freedoms in Hungary.”
Germany captain Manuel Neuer has even sported an armband in rainbow colours for Die Mannschaft’s opening two fixtures against France and Portugal. He also wore it in the warm-up fixture against Latvia before the European Championship began.
Mayor Reiter called the suggestion to light the stadium in rainbow colours as ‘an important sign of tolerance and equality’ and he hopes to receive a positive feedback from UEFA who will have the final say on this.
However, it might not have a positive bearing after all as German broadcaster NTV recently reported that UEFA will investigate Neuer’s use of rainbow-coloured armband and German football federation might even face a fine because ‘political’ symbols aren’t tolerated.
