Government prohibits rainbow march: protests against discrimination!

Government prohibits rainbow march: protests against discrimination!

The Hungarian police banned a LGBTQIA+ event, a rainbow march for the rights of the community, planned for June 1st in Budapest. This ban was justified by the police with the reference to a currently applicable legal framework for child protection. According to the report of the online portal Oe24 , however, human rights organizations see this ban as politically motivated and arbitrary.

Five human rights organizations, including the Hungarian Helsinki Committee and Amnesty International Hungary, intend to protest against the decision. Their goal is to draw attention to the ongoing criminalization of trans people in Hungary, who has been becoming increasingly drastic for five years.

Legal basis and social reactions

The police refer to changes in the meeting and child protection law, which was adopted in March. This law states that children have the right to protection and adequate development. In a newly inserted passage, it is determined that no assembly in Hungary may violate these laws, which effectively prohibits pride parades. The Fidesz-KDNP coalition, which acts with a two-thirds majority in parliament, has enforced this constitutional change from the EU after massive criticism. The Report of the Tagesschau emphasizes that the demonstrations known as "Gray Parade" took place against the ban on the "Gay Parade" last weekend in Budapest.

Human rights activists serve sharp criticism of this legislation, since they not only severely restrict pride events, but also the general visibility of the LGBTQIA+ community in Hungary. In particular, access to the media that address homosexuality was banned for minors in 2021.

international criticism and legal steps

The international reactions to the Hungarian measures are consistently negative. According to a , the European Parliament Seen fundamental rights within the EU. The legally anchored concept of gender, which recognizes only male or female, is regarded as part of a creeping dismantling of fundamental rights.

Citizenship issues, including the temporary suspension of double nationals, whereby no reason is required are further controversial points. The MPs ask the EU Commission to initiate an accelerated infringement procedure in order to pursue these human rights violations. The need to check financial support for anti-LGBTIQ campaigns in the EU is also emphasized. Critics fear that the Hungarian government will bring pedophilia and homosexuality into a context, which further drives social split.