Hungary Plans to Ban Pride : A New Offensive Against LGBT+ Rights
Hungary Plans to Ban Pride
A Bill to Prohibit the Pride March
The Hungarian government, led by Viktor Orbán, continues to tighten its legislation against LGBT+ rights. On Monday, March 17, the ruling party, Fidesz, submitted a bill aiming to ban the Budapest Pride march. This initiative comes just weeks after the Prime Minister publicly stated that such events would "no longer be tolerated in their current public form."
By circumventing existing laws on freedom of assembly, Fidesz has proposed an amendment prohibiting any gathering that violates the 2021 legislation, which bans the "promotion" of homosexuality and transgender identities to minors. According to documents reviewed by AFP, the bill justifies this measure by emphasizing the need to ensure that only events "respecting children's right to proper physical, mental, and moral development" can take place.
Stricter Penalties and Increased Surveillance
If the ban is enacted, Pride organizers and participants could face a fine of 500 euros, which, according to Fidesz, would be "allocated for child protection purposes." Additionally, Hungarian law enforcement could use facial recognition technology to identify violators.
The date of the vote has not yet been set, but the law could be passed by mid-April, alongside other recently announced constitutional revisions. These revisions include affirming "the primacy of children's rights over any other right, except the right to life" and defining that "a person is either a man or a woman," echoing anti-trans policies promoted by former U.S. President Donald Trump.
An Opposition That Refuses to Back Down
In response to these new restrictions, the Hungarian opposition has condemned the government's authoritarian drift. "What is this if not another step toward a Russian-style regime, toward a dictatorship?" wrote Laszlo Sebian-Petrovszki, a lawmaker from the opposition Democratic Coalition (DK), on Facebook.
Despite these threats, Budapest Pride organizers have reaffirmed their commitment to holding the event on June 28. In response, over 150 European lawmakers have signed an open letter urging the European Union to take swift action. "The European Union must act, and quickly, to stop this escalation. How far will we allow these spreaders of hate to go?" the signatories asked.
With this new attack on LGBT+ rights, Hungary could become the first EU country to ban a Pride march, further isolating itself on the international stage.
Commentaires
Enregistrer un commentaire