Repression in Hungary against LGBTQ+ Rights Fuels Budapest Pride
Despite scorching temperatures of 35 degrees Celsius, tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Budapest this weekend, according to Pride organizers, as reported by Euronews. On July 15, an estimated 35,000 people gathered in Városliget Park, a picturesque historical site in Budapest. Among them were diplomats from around the world, international companies, and tourists.
Earlier this week, a national bookseller was fined approximately $36,000 USD (€31,000) for displaying the popular LGBTQ+ graphic novel Heartstopper by Alice Oseman in the youth section without sealed packaging, as required by law.
Even Pride television commercials in Hungary faced restrictions under the law. Deemed unsuitable for audiences under 18 years old, their broadcast was banned, except during the period between 10 PM and 5 AM. Most channels, however, did not risk airing them at all.
"Now it becomes evident how they are trying to limit the rights of LGBTQ+ people in the world of media, cinema, films, and books," added Joyo Mayercik, a Pride organizer.
He further explained that the controversial Law on Protecting Children, which came into effect in 2021, is increasingly being used to impose fines and other punishments on those who promote LGBTQ+ content in Hungary.
"Now you can see how the propaganda law, adopted two years ago, is being applied in practice and how the public discourse has become more outraged," said Mayercik.
On the eve of the march, approximately 38 embassies, including those of the United States and Germany, issued a joint statement calling on the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to stop discriminatory laws and protect the rights of minorities.
At the end of last year, the European Commission took Hungary to the European Court of Justice in an attempt to overturn the law restricting access to information about LGBTQ+ issues.
Despite this, the Orbán government, proud of its support for a Christian-conservative agenda and traditional family values, has intensified its implementation.
David Vig, the director of Amnesty International Hungary, noted that unlike in some Western European and North American countries where pride events are a celebration of LGBTQ+ history and culture, Budapest Pride has become a means of protesting against increasing repression on the rights of the community.