Far-right politicians in Europe are leveraging the topic of LGBTQ+ rights to sow discord and fuel a surge in hate crimes, according to campaigners. This comes as communities prepare to observe Pride month. The trend is strikingly different from previous years when European countries were at the forefront of advancing rights for the community, including issues such as marriage equality. However, there has been a sharp reversal in recent years, with some countries even rolling back legal protections. ILGA-Europe reports that more and more laws are being crafted not to protect fundamental rights or societal needs, but simply to marginalize the community. Populist governments in Hungary and Slovakia have sought to establish only two genders in their constitutions, while attempts to ban discussions of LGBTQ+ topics in schools have been reported in at least 10 countries, including Italy, Bulgaria, and Romania. The Council of Europe has linked the increase in anti-LGBTQ+ violence and hate speech to a growing polarization in societal views. Hungary has become the first EU country to essentially ban Pride events, and a recent survey by the EU’s Fundamental Rights Agency has shown that violence and harassment against the community have reached unprecedented levels. While the rollback of rights is most noticeable in central and eastern Europe, violence is a growing concern across the continent. The situation is described as an existential threat to democracy, and there is growing pressure on the EU to address these violations of fundamental rights. Pride celebrations serve as a reminder of the original protest roots amid discussions of scapegoating, hate speech, and increasing violence.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/01/far-right-weaponising-lgbtq-rights-in-europe-to-sow-division-campaigners-say
