Politics Pride parade in Hungary faces ban
The annual Pride parades, at which people demonstrate for the rights of non-heterosexual lifestyles, are likely to be a thing of the past in Hungary.
17.03.2025, 14:17
SDA
A legislative proposal has been submitted to parliament on the initiative of parliamentarians from the government camp, which aims to ban the event. The proposal is certain to receive a majority, as Viktor Orban's right-wing populist government has a two-thirds majority in parliament. The parliament's legal affairs committee already discussed the issue on Monday.
Orban had already hinted at the ban in February during an address to the nation: "The organizers of Pride should not bother preparing this year's parade. It would be a waste of time and money."
In the event that the Pride parade takes place against the planned ban, there is a threat of fines, initially not quantified. According to the draft, not only the organizers of the event will be punished for violations, but also any participants.
Child protection cited as a reason
Formally, the draft is an amendment to the Assembly Act, which stipulates that assemblies may not violate the Child Protection Act, as reported by media close to the government. The Pride parade has not yet been explicitly mentioned in the bill.
Since 2021, a regulation known as the Child Protection Act has prohibited children and young people in Hungary from accessing information about non-heterosexual lifestyles. This means that books, films and other media must not be accessible to minors. Any kind of advertising in which homosexuals or trans people appear as part of normality is also prohibited.
