Overview
- Hungary's ruling Fidesz Party submitted a bill to ban the Budapest Pride march, citing the 2021 'child protection' law that prohibits the depiction or promotion of homosexuality to minors.
- The bill includes provisions for fines of up to 200,000 Hungarian forints ($546) for organizers and attendees, as well as the use of facial recognition technology to identify participants.
- Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a proponent of the ban, has described the Pride event as unnecessary and aligned the move with his government's promotion of 'traditional family values.'
- Budapest Pride organizers have condemned the proposed ban as a violation of constitutional rights to freedom of assembly and expression, vowing to resist the restrictions.
- The ban coincides with Budapest Pride's 30th anniversary and has drawn renewed criticism from the European Union over Hungary's broader crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights.