Pride Festival in Budapest: demand for the same right for everyone!
Pride Festival in Budapest: demand for the same right for everyone!
The 30th Pride Festival has started in Budapest today and offers a diverse program that takes place in various city facilities. The events include films, plays with LGBTQ topics as well as workshops and exhibitions that are characterized by "rainbow" content. A special forum will deal with the topic "Without taboo: LMBTQ people in politics". Viki Radványi, the chair of the Budapest Pride, asked for the same rights for LMBTQ people at the opening of the festival and emphasizes that homosexuality is a "hungaricum" because the word was created by Károly Kertbeny. A central appeal went to the Hungarian government to take the Pride ban back and to persuade the European Commission to support the LGBTQ community.
The current situation in Hungary is tense. In recent years, the government of Viktor Orbán has gradually restricted the rights of LGBTQ people, whereby this often happens under the pretext of "child protection". A decisive law, which was adopted in March 2025 with a two-thirds majority of the Fidesz party, aims at an annual ban on the Pride parade, which is referred to by Amnesty International as a "frontal attack on the community" and represents a violation of discrimination ban and freedom of expression and assembly.
ban on LGBTQ symbols
Against the background of the festival, Orbán recently issued a decree that forbids the attachment of LGBTQ symbols to government and central bank buildings. According to Orbán's office, this is a "symbolic" decision, since such symbols of government buildings are "not common". Municipal buildings such as the Budapest town hall, where the rainbow flag has been blowing since 2019, are not affected by this ban. Critics complain that the measures that aim to restrict LGBTQ rights since Orbán's return to power in 2010 increased and have been a serious attack on civil rights.
The Pride parade, which represents the highlight of the festival, was not explicitly prohibited by the government, but there are efforts to keep them within a sports stadium, which is vehemently rejected by the organizers. Another concern is the fear of possible fines for the organizers of Pride demonstrations and the introduction of automatic face recognition at such events. These regulations not only endanger freedom of assembly and expression, but also data protection.
EU reacts determined
In view of the legal and social developments in Hungary, 20 EU countries, including Germany, have asked the EU Commission for determined action. These states are “deeply concerned” about the latest changes in the law that affect LGBTQ people's rights. In their joint explanation, they ask Hungary to revise these regulations and protect international obligations. Otherwise, the EU Commission should use "all instruments of the rule of law".European pressure on Hungary is growing, and there have already been protests in Budapest that were directed against the restrictions on freedom of assembly. Hungary Minister of European Minister Janos Boka rejected the allegations of a pro-bonus and claimed that such a ban in Hungary did not exist. However, the project of the Orbán government is dealt with with skepticism, and existing laws that reflect outdated views of gender and sexuality are regarded in the EU as a serious threat to individual freedoms.
It remains to be seen which measures the EU will actually take to defend human rights in Hungary. The pressure is growing while the Pride Festival in Budapest throws a light on gratitude and struggle for equality.
Read more about it on Kleine Zeitung , href = "https://www.dw.com/de/lgbtq-rechte-20-eu-l%C3%A4NDER-FARDERNEMAG
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| Ort | Budapest, Ungarn |
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