Hungary’s parliament passed a law on Tuesday banning LGBTQ+ pride events, including the famous that attracts thousands of people every year.
The new legislation was put forward only a day earlier and the measure was pushed through parliament in an accelerated procedure thanks to the ruling coalition’s supermajority that allows it to amend the constituition.
The legislation, passed in 136-27 vote, is supported by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s party Fidesz and their minority coalition partner, the Christian Democrats.
Hungary’s crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights
The step represents the latest rollback of rights and protections for in the country by the Viktor Orban government.
Orban’s government has passed other similar laws, including the contentious “child protection law” in 2021 that bans gay people from featuring in school education materials or TV shows aimed at people under the age of 18.
Tuesday’s law keeps with the government’s view that annual pride march could be considered an event harming children, and that this outweighs the right to assemble.
Attending a prohibited event will carry fines up to 200,000 Hungarian forints ($550, €500), which the state must forward to “child protection,” according to the text of the law.
Authorities may also use facial recognition tools to identify individuals attending a prohibited event.
Budapest Pride organizers slam new law bill, launch funding drive
Budapest Pride organizers slammed the bill after it was first submitted Monday.
“It’s nothing more than political theater — the ruling party is using the LGBTQ community for its own gain. But we refuse to be anyone’s scapegoat,” the organizers said in a statement.
“While more and more people are starving in Hungary, the Prime Minister’s priority is to ban human rights protests,” the statement added.
Hungary has frequently led the as a cost of living crisis has gripped the country. Orban, who has been in power since 2010 has been criticized for , faces elections in 2026.
Edited by: Zac Crellin
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