The Hungarian parliament approved a bill on Tuesday that bans pride parades, marking another attack by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s far-right government against the LGBTQ+ community.
The new legislation "prohibits gatherings that violate the 2021 laws," which state that "homosexuality and gender change" should not be promoted to minors. While pride parades are not explicitly mentioned, the parliamentary debates made it clear they are included.
Orbán’s right-wing populist government holds a two-thirds majority in parliament, so the bill was expected to pass. In the end, 136 of the 199 members voted in favour, while 27 opposed. Opponents of the new law set off smoke bombs during the vote.
Violations of the ban will be considered administrative offences, punishable by fines of up to 200,000 forints (approximately €500). Both organisers and participants in pride parades will be targeted, with face recognition software used to identify them.
The organisers of the Pride parade, which is planned for 28 June, speak of "another step towards a fascist society."
"Since our childhood, we have had to fight to be accepted and to gain equal rights. The Pride parade brings that daily struggle to light," say the organisers, who speak of "an attempt by the government to dehumanise them."
The conservative Hungarian government has severely curtailed the rights of the LGBTQ+ community in recent years. Since 2019, the Hungarian constitution has stipulated that marriage is only possible between a man and a woman.
Same-sex couples are also prohibited from adopting children. Children's books that "promote" homosexuality or gender reassignment may no longer be sold publicly.
