Crowds set to rally in Budapest, undeterred by Orbán's warnings
Hungary's LGBT Pride Demonstration: A Controversial Gathering Amidst Legal Clashes
Thousands of people are expected to flock to Budapest today for the LGBT+ pride march, despite the Hungarian government's ban. The prime minister, Viktor Orbán, has issued a warning, threatening participants with legal consequences.
A new law, passed recently by the Hungarian parliament, has provided the police with a legal basis to prohibit such events, citing child protection and public morality. This legislation has been met with heavy criticism, particularly from European authorities.
The European Commission has urged Orbán to rethink his decision, arguing that it infringes upon human rights and civil liberties. Despite this, the Hungarian Supreme Court has upheld the police decisions to ban these gatherings, refusing to refer the case to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).
The controversial law, enacted in March and April of 2025, follows a 2021 law that prohibited the "public portrayal to children of divergence from self-identity corresponding to sex at birth, sex change or homosexuality." The new law tightens the restrictions, giving the police broader discretion to ban LGBT-related events.
Notably, the mayor of Budapest tried to organize Budapest Pride as a municipal event, but the new law prevented this as well. European commissioners and various Euro MPs, including Ana Catarina Mendes and Catarina Martins, will be attending the demonstration.
The law, framed as protecting children and upholding traditional values, has effectively made it difficult for such bans to be challenged in international courts. The Hungarian Supreme Court has asserted that the issue does not fall under the jurisdiction of the CJEU, reinforcing national sovereignty over such matters.
The controversial law passed in Hungary in 2025, restricting LGBT-related events in the name of child protection and public morality, has sparked debate within the realm of politics and general-news. This legislation has drawn heavy criticism from European authorities, particularly amidst the ongoing Hungarian LGBT Pride demonstration in Budapest, where thousands are expected to participate despite the government's ban.
