Orbán's strict prohibition: fines threaten to the Pride parade!

Orbán's strict prohibition: fines threaten to the Pride parade!

Belgrad, Serbien - In Hungary, the right-wing populist government of Viktor Orbán plans to introduce a ban on the Pride parade. At a parliamentary session, Orbán made it clear that the organizers should not take care of the preparation of the event, as this was "wasted time and money". The draft law, which emphasizes the measures to protect children, could lead to not only the organizers, but also participants risk fines between 200,000 forints (around 500 euros) if they violate the ban. This is seen as part of an aggressive political agenda that has been in 2021 since the adopted "Child Protection Act", which denies children access to information about non -heterosexual ways of life.

Serbia's parade in the crossfire of criticism

In the meantime, the Europride 2022 preparations took place in Serbia, the first large LGBTIQ event in southeastern Europe. A festival of equality and love was expected, but massive resistance from conservative circles led to a ban on the main event, the parade. Under the pressure of right -wing extremist groups and loud conservative voices, led by the Serbian patriarch Porfirije, the government was forced to cancel the parade for "security reasons". Despite these obstacles, the organizers said that a form of the "walk" will take place through the city. EU politicians and ambassadors vehemently demanded that the event are not prohibited, which ultimately led to a compromise.

On the day of the event, the “walk” was carried out under the protection of more than 6,000 police officers, which led the participants from a park to a concert site. These measures were controversial among many LGBTIQ activists who saw the situation as a shocking surrender of the Serbian state under the pressure of extremist forces. Several people were injured in the clashes, which nevertheless came up, and eighty people were arrested. Interior Minister Aleksandar Vulin claimed that the ban was maintained, which only enlarged the confusion about the status of the event, as the taz reported.

In both countries, there are clear tensions between state measures and the rights of LGBTIQ people, which reveals political and social conditions in the region. The impending ban on pride events in Hungary and the controversy in Serbia stand as a frightening reminder for future challenges in the struggle for equality and human rights in the region, such as the Kleine Zeitung documented.