UEFA blocks Munich's "political" bid to light up soccer stadium with LGBTQ+ rainbow for Germany-Hungary match

Berlin — The city of Munich wanted to light up its sports stadium in rainbow colors on Wednesday as Germany's national team took on Hungary in the European soccer championship. It would be a show of support for LGBTQ+ people — and a clear jab at Hungary, which recently passed a law banning the "promotion" of homosexuality to minors.

The U.S., many European nations, and a range of human rights groups have roundly condemned the controversial law. The U.S. State Department said it includes restrictions that "have no place in democratic society."   But the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) rejected the request by the Munich City Council. In a statement, UEFA noted that it was "a politically and religiously neutral organization," and "given the political context of this particular request — a message aimed at a decision by the Hungarian national parliament — UEFA must reject this request."