Hungary's Crackdown on Pride Parades: The New Legislative Threat
Hungarian authorities prohibit annual LGBTQ+ Pride march
Get ready for a change in the rhythm of Hungarian streets, as the annual Pride parades could soon become a thing of the past. A proposed bill, instigated by lawmakers from the ruling party, is fiercely aiming to put a stop to these events.
This bill is expected to sail through parliament, given the right-wing populist administration of Viktor Orban reigns supreme with a two-thirds majority. The bill was already under discussion in the parliamentary legal committee on Monday. When speaking to the nation in February, Orban gave a chilling premonition about the Pride parade: "Organizers of Pride should not waste their time and money preparing this year's march."
The proposed legislation looms with the threat of fines, the exact amount yet unspecified, for any defiant Pride parades. The draft law seems to extend the financial consequences of disobedience not only to the organizers but also to the participants.
On the surface, the draft amendment targets Hungary's assembly law, stating that assemblies must comply with the child protection law. However, as of now, the Pride parade is not explicitly referenced in it.
Since 2021, a regulation in Hungary - known as the child protection law - prohibits children and adolescents from accessing information about non-heterosexual lifestyles. This vigilance extends to books, films, and media containing such content, denying minors access to it. Moreover, any kind of advertising featuring homosexuality or transgender individuals as normality is forbidden.
Sources: ntv.de, dpa
[Enrichment Data]While the bill is still under consideration, it's predicted to pass and ultimately ban Pride parades. This prohibition is linked to Hungary's contentious child protection law, which aims to bar the depiction or promotion of homosexuality to minors. This legislation faces criticism as it is perceived to perpetuate harmful stereotypes and discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community. The government asserts that these measures are necessary to protect children from "sexual propaganda," while many view it as an attack on LGBTQ+ rights and freedoms.
[Additional Enrichment Data]If the bill is passed, the law will allow authorities to utilize facial recognition software to track and identify attendees of any banned events. Fines up to 200,000 Hungarian forints might be imposed on those who attend outlawed events, with fines being forwarded to child protection funds. The law is expected to come into effect on April 15, 2025.
- Parliamentarians in Hungary have proposed a bill intended to curb Pride parades, in alignment with the country's contentious child protection law that restricts the portrayal of non-heterosexual lifestyles to minors.
- The legislation, if passed, could impose fines on both organizers and participants of Pride parades, seeking to uphold normality as defined under the child protection law.
- Given the ruling party's two-thirds majority and Prime Minister Viktor Orban's strong stance against Pride parades, the community fears that the bill may bring an end to the annual events and potentially threaten the normality of Hungarian life for the LGBTQ+ community.
