Hungary’s ruling coalition is intensifying its crackdown on the nation’s LGBTQ+ community by proposing a bill that seeks to ban the annual Budapest Pride event and authorizes the use of facial recognition software to identify attendees.
The legislation, introduced on Monday, is expected to pass with ease, given the coalition’s commanding two-thirds majority in parliament. Upon enactment, the bill would criminalize participation in or organization of events deemed to violate Hungary’s controversial “child protection” law. This law prohibits the “depiction or promotion” of homosexuality to individuals under the age of 18.
Fines of up to 200,000 Hungarian forints (£420), with the proceeds directed towards “child protection,” could be imposed for attendance at such events.
Organizers of the Budapest Pride have denounced Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s efforts to outlaw the event as an infringement on the fundamental rights of freedom of speech and assembly.
This proposal marks yet another controversial step by the government against the LGBTQ+ community, a group that has faced increasing scrutiny under legislation widely criticized by rights organizations and other European lawmakers for its repressive nature.
The Hungarian government frames its policies as a defense of traditional family values and Christian civilization against what it terms “gender madness.” It purports to protect children from what it deems to be “sexual propaganda.”
The “child protection” law, enacted in 2021, does not only limit the portrayal of homosexuality in media consumed by minors but also restricts educational programs from addressing LGBTQ+ issues, and prohibits any public representation that diverges from traditional gender roles based on biological sex at birth.
Orbán alluded to potential measures against Budapest Pride in a speech earlier this February, targeting the event which draws thousands of participants, celebrating the history and advocating for the equal rights of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of Budapest Pride.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/17/hungary-government-bill-ban-budapest-pride-event
