Hungary's government takes a hard time: Pride parade threatens to prohibition!

Hungary's government takes a hard time: Pride parade threatens to prohibition!

The Hungarian government under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has recently taken significant steps in order to significantly restrict the rights of the LGBTIQ+community. This was done as part of a number of new laws that are considered part of an offensive against the LGBTQ+rights in Hungary. A new anti-LGBTQ+law was adopted, which not only prohibits Pride events, but also allows the authorities to use facial recognition software to identify participants at such events. The law was passed in parliament on Monday with 136 to 27 votes and encounters massive protests in the Hungarian capital Budapest.

Today, on April 15, 2025, hundreds of people mobilize to demonstrate against repressive laws. The protesters immediately block the Margaret Bridge and loudly express their displeasure with the considerable restrictions on their rights. Opposition MPs protested with rainbow smoke bombs in parliament in order to draw attention to the planned measures. Tamás Dombos from the LGBTQ+right group HátTér Society describes the attacks on minorities as a distraction from the economic challenges that Hungary is currently confronted with.

political support from Austria

The oppressed Budapest Pride parade is not only considered in Hungary, but also internationally. The SPÖ National Councilor Mario Lindner organized a solidarity trip to the Budapest Pride on June 28th. Lindner criticizes the latest developments in Hungary and describes the constitutional change that stipulates that there are only two genders as a diversion maneuver from Orbán's economic failure. In Austria itself, only 74 people stated in January to identify their gender as diverse, inter or openly, which illustrates the dimension of the debate about gender identity.

FPÖ general secretary Christian Hafeneck, on the other hand, welcomes the Hungarian constitutional change as a sign of normality and describes the criticism of prohibition policy as hypocritical. This political discourse illustrates the different opinions about LGBT rights and their social acceptance in Europe.

legal changes and their reactions

In addition to the new laws, the Hungarian parliament recently also changed the right to assembly, which makes it a criminal offense to participate in events that violate the "Child Protection" law. Critics see this an attempt to reduce the visibility of LGBTQ+persons and create a dangerous connection between homosexuality and pedophilia. The controversial Child Protection Act, which was passed in 2021, prohibits the presentation or promotion of homosexuality in content for minors and limits the discussion about LGBTQ+topics in schools.

Orbán, who has been in office since 2010 and maintains close political connections to Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, faces increasingly growing resistance. While Hungary is fighting with inflation and living cost crises, his aggressive policy against the LGBTQ+community is viewed by many as a distraction of urgent social and economic problems. Opposition politicians, such as the chairman of the Tisza party, promise to make Hungary a full member of the EU again and to act against the country's international isolation.

The location remains tense and it is uncertain how the events around the Pride parade and the associated protests will develop. The pressure on the LGBTQ+community and the political discussion in Hungary will certainly also shape the coming months.

Further information can be found in the articles of Krone , cnn and Deutschlandfunk .