Hungary’s ruling coalition has introduced a bill that would ban the Budapest Pride event and authorize the use of facial recognition technology to identify attendees. The bill, expected to pass due to the government’s two-thirds majority in parliament, expands on Hungary’s controversial 2021 “child protection” law, which prohibits the “depiction or promotion” of homosexuality to minors. Violators could face fines of up to 200,000 Hungarian forints ($546).
This proposal is the latest in Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s ongoing crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights, which his government justifies as protecting children from “sexual propaganda” while promoting traditional family values.
Rights groups and European leaders have widely condemned these measures as repressive and a violation of fundamental freedoms. Budapest Pride, now in its 30th year, has been a key event for LGBTQ+ advocacy, and organizers view the bill as an attack on free speech and assembly.
