Hungary bans Pride events and introduces facial recognition surveillance
- Hungarian lawmakers enacted a law that bans Pride events and utilizes facial recognition technology.
- The legislation, passed with a vote of 136-27, is largely seen as an attack on LGBTQ rights and freedoms.
- This development highlights the increasing authoritarian measures by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's government against minority groups.
On March 18, 2025, Hungarian legislators enacted a controversial law prohibiting Pride events, a significant development in the country's ongoing crackdown on LGBTQ rights. The law, passed by a substantial margin of 136 votes to 27, is viewed by many as an infringement on civil liberties and freedoms of expression. It specifically targets gatherings that are deemed to contravene existing 'child protection' legislation, which restricts the depiction and promotion of homosexuality to individuals under 18. This move follows a pattern of increasing repression against LGBTQ communities in Hungary under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's administration. The ruling coalition, consisting of Orbán's Fidesz party and the Christian Democrats, implemented this law rapidly, indicating a shift towards prioritizing traditional family values as espoused by the government. The legislation has drawn widespread criticism from rights groups claiming it serves to silence dissent and marginalize the LGBTQ community, labeling it as a tactic of scapegoating. Attending or organizing prohibited Pride events could result in fines of up to 200,000 Hungarian forints, approximately $546, reinforcing the state’s stance on what it perceives as 'child protection' but which many view as discriminatory agenda. Support for the law arose within a political backdrop marked by other restrictive measures targeting LGBTQ rights, including a 2021 law that prohibited discussions of LGBTQ issues in schools. The government's framing of these policies as necessary for protecting children's moral and physical development is met with skepticism, as rights advocates argue it effectively erases LGBTQ visibility from society. In light of this, opposition lawmakers protested vocally during the parliamentary session, igniting smoke bombs and making a fierce stand against the legislation. The implications of this law go beyond just the Pride events themselves; they mark a deepening authoritarian grip on civil society in Hungary. With more than three decades of organized Pride celebrations in Budapest, this attempt to silence LGBTQ voices poses profound questions about the future of free assembly and expression in the country. Critics argue that this represents not protection of children but rather a rollback of human rights, illustrating a troubling trend in Hungary's political landscape that challenges the freedoms and rights of minorities.