"Activists Remain Determined": Despite Hungary's prohibition of Pride events as part of a broader clampdown on LGBTQ+ rights, activists remain undeterred.
Rewritten Article:
Amidst the heat of summer, Hungary's annual Budapest Pride, marking its 30-year anniversary, remains an elusive celebration for many. One such individual who has yet to attend is Robert Antic, a 37-year-old content creator representing Hungary in the 'Mr. Gay Europe' competition. But his desire to join the festivities this year carries a unique significance: the Hungarian parliament's recent passage of a law banning Pride events, coupled with the implementation of facial recognition technology to identify attendees of any events defying the ban.
The legislation, according to critics, sullies the principles of freedom of expression and assembly and represents an escalating crackdown on the LGBTQ+ community. Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, expressed his support for the ban, asserting that it aimed to safeguard children by prohibiting gatherings that violate child protection laws. The controversial move triggered impassioned protests in Budapest this week, with organizers vowing to persevere with the annual festival in defiance of the new law and labeling it "a new fascist ban."
Budapest's Mayor, Gergely Karácsony, pledged to collaborate with the organizers in an attempt to ensure the event's continuation this year, branding the law as an attack on the right to assembly. For Antic, a self-declared proud gay man, the new regulations encroach upon his right to self-expression, raising doubts about the future of LGBTQ+ people in Hungary.
The government, led by Orban's nationalist-populist party, remains at odds with the European Union despite being a member. In a recent show of discord, Hungary was the sole EU member state to withhold approval for Ukraine's membership, and Orban maintains a close alliance with US President Donald Trump, sharing ideological and political similarities with him.
Orban's government has been implementing anti-LGBTQ+ legislation for several years, often under the guise of child protection. In 2020, the country effectively barred same-sex adoption, and a year later, it banned the distribution of content related to homosexuality or gender change to under 18s – a move that the European Commission claimed violated numerous EU rules.
The recent Pride ban has prompted feelings of marginalization among members of the LGBTQ+ community. Simon Bird, a 68-year-old retired teacher, shares a sense of unseen and actively disliked sentiments, having attended every Pride event held in Budapest since his arrival in 2016. Although the new law initially caused him to question his decision to relocate to the city, he remains resolute in expressing his identity and presence within the community.
June, a 24-year-old non-binary, bisexual teacher and tattoo artist, tells a similar story. Hungary, in her experience, is an unfriendly environment for openly LGBTQ+ individuals, with a lack of acceptance and opportunities for the community to connect. In response, she started an annual event called Queer Picnic on the city's central Margaret Island, which has attracted growing numbers of attendees since its inception. Despite the escalating clampdown, she plans to continue organizing the event this year to create spaces where LGBTQ+ people can gather and feel recognized.
"There's so little going on — such little pride, such little confidence, such little faith," she confesses. "But now, more than ever, I want to be more obvious, to assert myself and show that we won't be silenced."
Beneath the surface of this political upheaval lies a concerning reliance on facial recognition technology to enforce the ban on LGBTQ+ gatherings. Critics like Anna Bacciarelli, a senior researcher at Human Rights Watch, express concern that such a move violates EU regulations regarding the use of artificial intelligence in public spaces. The potential for misidentification, particularly among minority groups, further complicates matters, as highlighted by Serhat Ozturk, a legal officer at Privacy International.
Yet, even in the face of these challenges, the community's determination to express their identity and demand equal rights persists. As June points out, "People want to feel normal — that's all we want. We just want to feel normal. It's the government that keeps inventing new laws to further segregate us." The thought of being added to a government database for further surveillance initially makes her apprehensive, but the growing wave of defiance among the community fuels her resolve. "I'm realizing that these are all tactics to silence us," she acknowledges. "And if that is their goal, then we must continue. We have to continue fighting. That is all that we can do."
- The Hungarian government's implementation of facial recognition technology to identify attendees of defiant Pride events, as seen in the recent ban, has sparked concerns among critics, such as Anna Bacciarelli of Human Rights Watch, who question its compliance with EU regulations regarding the use of artificial intelligence in public spaces.
- Despite the Hungarian government's ongoing anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, most notably the recent ban on Pride events and the implementation of facial recognition technology, members of the LGBTQ+ community in Hungary, like June, a 24-year-old non-binary, bisexual teacher and tattoo artist, have shown resilience in organizing events like the annual Queer Picnic on Margaret Island to create safe spaces for the community and assert their identity.
- Robert Antic, a 37-year-old content creator representing Hungary in the 'Mr. Gay Europe' competition, has expressed his desire to join the Budapest Pride festival this year amidst increased tension surrounding the Hungarian parliament's ban on Pride events, which has been criticized for violating freedom of expression and assembly principles, and for profiling members of the LGBTQ+ community using facial recognition technology.
