Pride flag ‘banned’ from Red Hot Chili Peppers concert in Egypt
(Photos: Chris Mansell/ Facebook and St John the Evangelist Parish/Facebook)
Police allegedly searched concertgoers for rainbow Pride flags before allowing them to enter Red Hot Chili Peppers concert outside the Pyramids of Giza, Cairo.
Journalist Samer Al-Atrush tweeted, “Entering Red Hot Chili Peppers concert at Cairo Pyramids. Police officer asks: ‘you have no flags?’ Asked what type of flags responds: ‘flag for the gays. Not allowed.’”
Entering Red Hot Chili Peppers concert at Cairo Pyramids. Police officer asks: “you have no flags?” Asked what type of flags responds: “flag for the gays. Not allowed.”
— Samer Al-Atrush (@SameralAtrush) March 15, 2019
The police officers also confiscated a child’s crayons, according to Twitter user Ahmed Mohieldin, to stop them “drawing the rainbow flag.”
They actually took my friends’ daughter crayons that were in the car so in case we think of drawing the rainbow flag !!
— Ahmed Mohieldin (@Mohy28) March 16, 2019
The police offer elaborated by saying that he was looking for the flag with “three colours,” according to Al-Atrush. This prompted user Niamh McBurney to reply, “like the Belgian flag?”
Lolwut? Like the Belgian flag?
— Niamh McBurney (@blondearabist) March 15, 2019
Ed Clowes pointed out the irony over the Egyptian government congratulating Rami Malek for his Oscar win portraying gay icon Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody, whilst pursuing an anti-gay crackdown that has been raging since September 2017.
Lol but Rami Malek pic.twitter.com/m70m2jD6TE
— Ed Clowes ادوارد كلاوس (@EdClowes) March 16, 2019
Another Twitter user argued that “exerting pressure on artists to demand that their performances are non-discriminatory seems like something that people should do (more of).”
Exerting pressure on artists to demand that their performances are non-discriminatory seems like something that people should do (more of). https://t.co/uYPiqpR4M6
— mostly questions (@danevandyck) 15 March 2019
Egypt’s war on Pride flags
Egypt does not explicitly outlaw homosexual acts, but around 95 percent of Egyptians believe that homosexuality should not be accepted by society, according to a 2013 survey.
The rainbow Pride flag has been a symbol for the anti-LGBT+ movement to rally around.
In September 2017, a rainbow flag that was unfurled at the gig of Lebanese band Mashrou’ Leila attracted the ire of religious leaders, politicians and sections of the Egyptian media.
The Pride flag at Mashrou Leila’s concert in Egypt, 2017. (RainbowEgypt/Facebook)
33 people were arrested in the following nine days, on charges of “promoting sexual deviance” and “debauchery.”
According to The New Arab, many of those arrested were convicted and sentenced to between six months and six years in prison.
The purge, which is ongoing, has included a Russia-style ban on the media—including TV and film, radio, online and print—mentioning even the existence of LGBT people.
In January, an Egyptian TV host was jailed for one year for interviewing a gay man—despite being anti-gay himself.
Police have also been accused of ensnaring gay men through dating apps such as Hornet, Grindr and Growler. The victims were allegedly beaten, anally examined and imprisoned.
Earlier this month Amnesty International called on Egyptian authorities to ensure the safety of transgender woman Malak al-Kashef, after she was seized from her home during a police raid and placed in a male prison.
