Hungary Seeks to Prohibit Pride March in Budapest

The government of Hungary recently announced its intention to prohibit the annual Pride march in Budapest, the country's capital city. This decision was revealed last week by Gergely Gulyás, the chief of staff to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, during a government press conference held on February 27. According to Gulyás, "There will be no Pride in the public form in which we have known it in recent decades. We believe that the country should not tolerate Pride marching through the city center." The Budapest Pride march, an event that attracts participants from all over the world, is traditionally scheduled for June 28.

Gulyás cited a proposed constitutional amendment as part of the rationale behind the ban. The amendment emphasizes "the right of children to physical, mental, and moral development is irrevocable." However, he did not specify how the Pride march would infringe upon these rights, stating, "This should be decided by the court or the police, if necessary. I don’t know if only a constitutional amendment is needed or if other laws should be changed as well, but as we said, Pride in its current form will not take place."

Over the last ten years, Prime Minister Orbán and his ruling Fidesz party have implemented several measures that restrict LGBTQ+ and intersex rights in Hungary. In 2020, a law was enacted that bans the legal recognition of transgender and intersex individuals. The same year, lawmakers also effectively prohibited same-sex couples from adopting children and redefined marriage in the constitution as a union between a man and a woman. In 2021, an anti-LGBTQ+ "propaganda" law was introduced, prompting the European Commission to initiate legal action against Hungary, a European Union member state, citing violations of EU values.

In 2023, Hungarian legislators passed a controversial "snitch on your gay neighbor" bill, enabling citizens to anonymously report same-sex couples raising children. Additionally, the Budapest Metropolitan Government Office imposed a hefty fine of 12 million forints on Lira Konyv, the country’s second-largest bookstore chain, for selling copies of "Heartstopper," a book by British author Alice Oseman.

David Pressman, former U.S. Ambassador to Hungary, has been an outspoken critic of Hungary's anti-LGBTQ+ policies. An openly gay diplomat, Pressman has participated in Budapest Pride marches in both 2023 and 2024. During a reception for Budapest Pride in 2023, he drew unsettling parallels between the current political climate and Hungary’s past, stating, "It is impossible not to see echoes of this in your Parliament’s vote earlier this year to encourage neighbors to report to the authorities their gay neighbors raising children. Turning neighbor on neighbor conjures a dark past of covert agents and informants, of fear and betrayal, in this country and this region, that I do not need to recount."

Budapest Pride spokesperson Johanna Majercsik responded to the government’s announcement in an email, noting Prime Minister Orbán's recent threats against the event in his annual speech on February 22. "It is expected that they will try to make it impossible to organize the Pride march with some kind of legal amendment—all this by referring to the so-called child protection law from 2021, which is actually a Putin-style propaganda law," Majercsik stated. She emphasized that no additional information has been provided, and the organization is waiting for potential legal amendments.

Majercsik warned that if the Hungarian government succeeds in banning the Pride march, "they will be admitting that there is no longer democracy" in Hungary. She highlighted the significance of the Pride march as a demonstration under the right of assembly, a right that is "strictly protected by the constitution of Hungary." Majercsik further noted, "We will do everything we can to fight for the right of assembly of all Hungarians. We strongly believe that this case could also set a precedent, as if the government succeeds in banning the Pride march, they could ban any other assembly (e.g., farmers, teachers, judges, etc.)." The Hungarian Helsinki Committee is offering legal advice to Budapest Pride.

As Hungary approaches its 2026 elections, the LGBTQ+ community and its allies continue to advocate for their rights and freedoms. The international community watches closely as Hungary navigates these contentious issues and the broader implications for human rights in Europe.

The situation remains tense as the government’s proposed actions against the Pride march face both domestic and international scrutiny.