Sebastian Vettel says UEFA need to ‘rethink’ after blocking LGBTQ lighting of Allianz Arena

German F1 star Sebastian Vettel says UEFA ‘have gone down the wrong path’ and need to ‘rethink’ after European football’s governing body refused to allow the Allianz Arena to be lit in rainbow colours to protest Hungarian anti-LGBTQ legislation

Sebastian Vettel criticised UEFA on Thursday for the refusal to allow the Allianz Arena to be lit in rainbow colours for Germany’s Euro 2020 match against Hungary.

The mayor of Munich had wanted the Allianz Arena to be lit in rainbow colours for Wednesday’s group stage encounter in protest at Hungarian anti-LGBTQ legislation.

UEFA declined, saying it was a politically and religiously neutral organisation.

Sebastian Vettel has claimed UEFA need to ‘rethink’ their approach in what they choose to ban

Vettel competed in the French Grand Prix for Aston Martin with the HALO device around the cockpit featuring colours supporting Racing Pride and the LGBTQ community

Vettel competed in the French Grand Prix for Aston Martin with the HALO device around the cockpit featuring colours supporting Racing Pride and the LGBTQ community

German star Vettel is a four times Formula One world champion whose Aston Martin car carried the rainbow colours and Racing Pride logos at last weekend’s French Grand Prix. He said UEFA had taken the wrong stance.

‘I think to excuse it that it is a political message is the wrong path,’ he told reporters at the Styrian Grand Prix at Austria’s Red Bull Ring.

‘I think it is definitely not harming anybody and I think it is a great message that they would have loved to send out and were not allowed.

‘Some institutions need to rethink their approach on banning this type of messages.’

Formula One’s Hungarian Grand Prix is scheduled for August 1 at the Hungaroring near Budapest.

UEFA blocked the request to light up the Allianz Arena in rainbow colours on Wednesday

UEFA blocked the request to light up the Allianz Arena in rainbow colours on Wednesday

Dieter Reiter  (pictured) branded UEFA 'shameful' as he announced plans to put up rainbow flag's at the city's town hall and illuminate a huge wind turbine close to the stadium

Dieter Reiter  (pictured) branded UEFA ‘shameful’ as he announced plans to put up rainbow flag’s at the city’s town hall and illuminate a huge wind turbine close to the stadium

Hungary’s new ‘anti-LGBT’ law

Hungary’s new law is ostensibly designed to crack down on paedophilia, but critics argue amendments to it make a dangerous link between homosexuality and the abuse of minors. 

The law prohibits sharing any content portraying homosexuality or sex reassignment to children under 18 in school sex education programs, films and advertisements.

Human rights groups have denounced the measure, saying it could be used to stigmatize and harass residents because of their sexual orientation or gender identities, and deprive young people of essential sex education information.

Thousands have protested in Hungary’s capital of Budapest against the measures.

A number of EU countries including Germany have condemned the law, and a joint statement was released on Tuesday voicing ‘grave concern’ about its impact on the LGBT community. 

Last December homosexual couples were also effectively banned from adopting children, as part of Viktor Orban’s reforms.

Dieter Reiter, the mayor of Munich, had been pushing to illuminate the stadium in his city as a direct response to legislation approved by Viktor Orban’s government in Hungary banning gay people from appearing in educational materials in schools or messages that promote gender change for under 18s. UEFA dismissed the request because of its ‘political context’.

It instead proposed alternative dates for the stadium to be lit up and issued a flaky statement, which said: ‘UEFA understands that the intention is also to send a message to promote diversity and inclusion — a cause which UEFA has been supporting for many years — having joined forces with European clubs, national teams and their players, launching campaigns and plenty of activities all over Europe.

‘And consequently, UEFA has proposed alternative dates for the illumination which align better with existing events.’

That stance has been ridiculed across football. Multiple Bundesliga clubs, including Wolfsburg, Hertha Berlin, Eintracht Frankfurt and Cologne, pledged to illuminate their stadiums during the game.

France striker Antoine Griezmann also posted a picture of the Allianz Arena in rainbow colours with a rainbow emoji and a fist. 

Munich mayor Reiter slammed the organisation and said: ‘I find it shameful that UEFA forbids us to send a message here in Munich for tolerance, respect and solidarity with the LGBTQI+ community.

‘I am also very disappointed that the DFB (the German football federation), despite the unbelievably clear positioning here in Munich, has not achieved anything.’

Meanwhile, Georginio Wijnaldum will reiterate Holland’s anti- discrimination stance by wearing a special captain’s armband in their last 16 tie with Czech Republic in Budapest on Sunday.

Wijnaldum’s armband will show the multi-coloured heart logo of the Dutch FA’s OneLove campaign launched last year.

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