Budapest Pride expects record attendance amid Orbán's LGBTQ+ policies

In Hungary, a record number of people are expected to participate in the Budapest Pride march on Saturday. Hungarian LGBTQ+ rights activists will join forces with activists and politicians from across Europe in a march that is intended to be part of the resistance against the ongoing weakening of LGBTQ+ rights by the Hungarian government, writes UNN with reference to The Guardian.

Details

"This week, all eyes are on Budapest. This is more than one pride celebration, one pride march. It's about the right to be yourself, to love whoever you want, whether in Budapest, Brussels, or anywhere else," said Adja Labib, EU Commissioner for Equality, to journalists in the Hungarian capital on Friday.

The holding of the country's main pride march was called into question earlier this year after the ruling Fidesz party, led by right-wing politician Viktor Orbán, supported legislation that created a legal basis for banning pride, citing a widely criticized need to protect children, the publication writes.

The Hungarian government also stated that it would use facial recognition software to identify people attending any banned events, which could result in a fine of up to 500 euros.

This move caused outrage among some Hungarian citizens and beyond the country's borders, turning Budapest Pride into a statement against a government that has long faced criticism for weakening democratic institutions and gradually undermining the rule of law.

As AFP writes, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that the police would not "disperse" Saturday's pride in Budapest, despite the ban, but warned participants and organizers about legal consequences. Last week, the police banned the pride in Budapest, citing recent changes in legislation that prohibit the promotion or display of homosexuality to persons under 18 years of age.

Labib said that the EU stands with LGBTQ+ people.

"It is a core value to gather peacefully, to be yourself, to love whoever you want. These are core values that generations before us built, brick by brick, and we are not going to allow any regression on the part of one of our member states," she said.

The organizers of Budapest Pride, which will celebrate its 30th anniversary this year, said that the government is trying to limit peaceful protests by persecuting them.

"This event was one of the important milestones of the LGBTQ community. Our slogan this year is - we are home. With this, we want to draw attention to the fact that LGBTQ people are an integral part of Hungarian society, just like any other people. In our history, in our culture - this is where we belong," said Pride spokesman Máté Hegedűs.

Despite the uncertainty, tens of thousands of Hungarians are expected to participate in pride. They will be joined by politicians and human rights activists from more than 30 countries, including former Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, Spanish Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun, more than 70 members of the European Parliament, and the mayors of Brussels and Amsterdam.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen this week joined calls for Hungarian authorities to allow the event to proceed. Orbán quickly responded, comparing it to receiving orders from Moscow during communist times.

"She thinks she can dictate to Hungarians from Brussels how they should live," he said in a radio interview.

Addition

The Hungarian Parliament has adopted a constitutional amendment that allows the banning of public LGBTQ+ community events.