Prime Minister Viktor Orban previously hinted that Pride event organizers “shouldn’t bother” with preparations.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced in a radio interview Friday that Pride parades will be banned in Budapest, citing concerns about their impact on children.
Orban told Radio Kossuth that LGBTQ events in the capital were only happening because of the support of former U.S. Ambassador David Pressman, which demonstrated backing from major world powers.
Orban stated that the situation has changed, noting that Pride parades no longer have international protection since Pressman’s departure in January before Donald Trump’s presidency.
Orban declared that such events are “no more” and “shouldn’t have been necessary before either.”
The prime minister emphasized that Pride parades contradict the “healthy, balanced development” desired by parents for their children. He added that, despite Western pressure, most Hungarians still believe in only two genders and haven’t succumbed to gender “craziness.”
During a state address last Saturday, Orban advised Pride organizers to “not bother preparing” for the June event, deeming it “a waste of time and money.”
On Thursday, Chief of Staff Gergely Gulyas stated that Hungary “does not have to tolerate Pride marching through downtown Budapest” and that the event will no longer occur “in the public form in which we have known it in recent decades,” suggesting it be held in a “closed venue.”
LGBTQ festival organizers responded by stating they still plan to hold the event, calling it a “litmus test for Hungarian democracy,” according to Reuters.
In 2021, Hungary’s child protection laws were updated to prohibit LGBTQ content in media, advertising, and educational materials for minors, leading to backlash from Brussels, legal action, a referral to the European Court of Justice, and the freezing of EU funds over alleged human rights violations.
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