(Adnkronos) – With 136 votes in favor and 27 against, the Hungarian Parliament approved the law, presented by the coalition that supports the sovereignist government of Viktor Orban, the law that prohibits Pride marches on the basis of the controversial law for “the protection of minors” approved in 2021 to prohibit the “promotion and display” of homosexuality to minors.
The new law, which confirms and carries forward the repression by the government of an EU country of the rights of the LGBT community, amends the right of association and assembly, limiting it to events “that respect the right of children to appropriate physical, mental and moral development”. Fines of up to the equivalent of 500 euros are envisaged for participants in unauthorized Prides who can be identified using facial recognition.
Presented on Monday by Fidesz and its ally, the Christian Democratic People’s Party, the law also received votes from far-right parties, while the opposition Momentum protested during the vote. In his annual State of the Nation address in February, Orban hinted that there would be action to prevent the Budapest Pride, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, from taking place, telling organizers to avoid “a waste of money and time.” And last month the Hungarian government said a Pride march would not be “tolerated” in the “public forms” of previous editions.
Orban’s new attack on the rights of the LGBT community is interpreted by analysts as a move to bolster support with the far right, in the face of the threat from his former ally Peter Magyar, who has now become his main challenger in next year’s elections. “It’s easy to win votes by restricting the rights of a minority in a conservative society,” Szabolcs Hegyi, an expert at the Hungarian Union for Civil Liberties (Tasz), told AFP, saying it was “very unfortunate” that “civil rights are being cut” to advance “party interests.”
Meanwhile, Pride organizers are challenging the measure by confirming that the 30th edition of the march will take place on June 28. People are still “ready to come to Budapest Pride to show support for the community even if they have to pay fines,” Pride spokesman Mate Hegedus- told AFP. “We will not be intimidated by the government, which is using our community as a scapegoat,” he concluded.
