This archive report was first published on 22 June 2021.
On June 22, 2021, UEFA rejected a request from Munich's mayor, Dieter Reiter, to light up the Allianz Arena in rainbow colours during a Euro 2020 match between Germany and Hungary.
The request was made in protest against Hungary's new law banning the dissemination of content in schools deemed to promote homosexuality and gender change.
UEFA, citing its politically neutral stance, declined the request, stating that it 'must decline this request' due to the 'political context' of the request.
However, the organisation suggested alternative dates for the gesture, proposing to illuminate the stadium with rainbow colours on either June 28, which is Christopher Street Liberation Day, or between July 3 and 9, which is Christopher Street Day week in Munich.
Christopher Street Day events are held in memory of an uprising by homosexuals in New York in 1969.
The German Football Association (DFB) had also expressed a preference for any protest or gesture to be held on another date than Wednesday's game.
Hungary's foreign minister, Peter Szijjarto, had previously stated that 'mixing politics and sport' was 'harmful and dangerous', citing historical examples of such attempts ending badly.
