Press Release
Hungary Intensifies Global Onslaught Against LGBTIQ People with Shameful Pride Ban
Region(s)
Publish Date
March 18, 2025
Authors
New York, New York - March 18, 2025 – Outright International strongly condemns the passage of a law in Hungary on March 18 that bans Pride events, framing them as a threat to the “physical, mental, and moral development” of children. This discriminatory legislation, which makes holding a public Pride event a criminal offense, is a blatant violation of the fundamental rights to freedom of assembly, expression, and non-discrimination for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer (LGBTIQ) people and their allies in Hungary.
Hungary’s parliament passed the law in a hurried fashion, in a context in which Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is advancing broad crackdowns on civil society in the lead-up to the 2026 general elections. The law caters to Orbán’s base, perpetuating harmful stereotypes that LGBTIQ people are a danger to society, particularly to children. Such rhetoric is a deliberate attempt by the ruling party to achieve political gain by stigmatizing and marginalizing LGBTIQ communities, further entrenching discrimination and exclusion.
“Not only does this law introduce discriminatory and simply evil restrictions on freedom of assembly, but it was also adopted in a highly undemocratic manner, through an extraordinary procedure that did not allow for any real debate,” said Tamás Dombos of Háttér Society, a non-governmental organization representing LGBTIQ people in Hungary. “They proposed it yesterday, and the Parliament adopted it today. But we will not be intimidated, we will not give in to bullying. We are celebrating Pride for the 30th time in Budapest this year. There was Pride before the Orbán governments, and there will be Pride after! We encourage everyone – both within Hungary and outside – to join us on June 28 to stand up not just for LGBTQI rights, but freedom of assembly for all."
The passage of this law comes at a time when LGBTIQ people in Hungary are already facing escalating hostility. Hungary has been at the forefront of anti-LGBTIQ legislative crackdowns in Europe, including in the form of a 2020 ban on legal gender recognition for transgender and intersex people and a 2021 “propaganda law” that restricts information about LGBTIQ lives. These measures have created a climate of fear and repression, leaving many LGBTIQ people vulnerable to discrimination, violence, and social exclusion. Following the passage of the 2021 law, activists reported that Pride in Budapest was larger than ever, with allies flooding the streets to express dissent against Orbán’s attacks on democratic principles.
MPs of Momentum protest with flares during the plenary session of the Hungarian parliament in Budapest, Hungary, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (Boglarka Bodnar/MTI via AP)
Quote from Maria Sjödin (they/she)
“Banning Pride events is a blatant violation of fundamental freedoms and an attempt to silence LGBTIQ people. This is not just about Hungary—when governments scapegoat marginalized communities for political gain, it erodes democracy for everyone. Hungarian activists have long stood firm in the face of these attacks, and Outright International stands with them. The EU and other democratic governments must take decisive action to hold Hungary accountable for its escalating repression.”
European institutions have served as a crucial safeguard against Hungary’s efforts to deny rights to LGBTIQ people. On March 13, 2025, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) issued a landmark ruling in case C-247/23, affirming that requiring surgical procedures for gender identity recognition violates fundamental rights. It also reinforced the right of individuals to rectify inaccurate personal data under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), ensuring that official documents reflect a person’s lived identity. The ruling reinforces the principle that legal recognition of gender identity must not come at the expense of bodily autonomy or human dignity.
In 2021, following the passage of the “propaganda” law, the European Commission launched infringement proceedings against Hungary on the grounds that the law violated Hungary’s treaty obligations, including Article 2 of the Treaty on the European Union. Under the EU infringement procedure, the European Commission can initiate legal action against Hungary for failing to comply with EU law. The CJEU held a hearing on the case in November 2024, and a ruling is expected in June 2025. If the CJEU rules against Hungary and does not repeal its discriminatory laws, it could face significant financial penalties and increased political pressure. The Háttér Society, which has described the case as “the largest human rights case in the EU,” has called for the Commission to adopt an interim measure that would suspend the application of both the propaganda law and the Pride ban.
Hungary’s new law demonstrates a troubling disregard for human rights and EU legal standards. Instead of aligning with international law, Hungary has chosen to further entrench its anti-LGBTIQ agenda, treating LGBTIQ people as a threat rather than equal members of society.
Outright International calls on the Hungarian government to immediately repeal this discriminatory law and uphold its obligations under international human rights law, including the European Convention on Human Rights and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. We also urge the European Union to hold Hungary accountable for its continued violations of LGBTIQ people’s human rights and to take decisive action to protect the principles of equality and non-discrimination. LGBTIQ people in Hungary and around the world deserve to live with dignity, free from fear and persecution.
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