Hungary: Parliament Bans Gay Pride Parade

According to the Hungarian government's official website, "Parliament has decided that only assemblies that respect children's right to appropriate physical, mental, and moral development may be held in Hungary and that, consequently, any assembly that violates the prohibition set out in the Child Protection Act is prohibited." This expression constitutes the very essence of the 2021 Child Protection Act.

The explanation continues: "Under the amended law, it will be prohibited to hold any gathering in the future that violates the prohibition set out in the Child Protection and Guardianship Act." The text then reiterates the contents of the aforementioned article:

"The article stipulates that, in order to guarantee the rights of children, it is prohibited to make pornographic content available to children under the age of eighteen, as well as content that describes sexuality for its own sake, or that encourages or depicts deviations from the birth sex identity, sex changes, or homosexuality."

The amendment to the Gatherings Act takes note of this previous provision and stipulates: "The authority shall prohibit the holding of a gathering if, based on the information available after consultation, there are reasonable grounds to believe that the purpose of the notification is to hold a prohibited gathering. The gathering can be notified up to one month before it is held."

The Hungarian legislature "also decided to prohibit the behavior of any person who defrauds the authorities by organizing a prohibited assembly or who participates in such an assembly as a participant." This behavior "will now be considered a crime" and punishable by a fine of up to €500, "the proceeds of which will be allocated to the protection of children."

Progressive parties expressed their fury—and their helplessness—by trying to disrupt the vote on the bill by lighting smoke bombs and playing the Russian anthem in the chamber, but to no avail.

For the organizers of the gay pride parade, which was scheduled for June 28, this is "a further step in the fascization of society." Some more excitable warmongers have said they are ready to confront the authorities and "not be intimidated by a government looking for a scapegoat."

Experts, for their part, denounce a ban "on the Russian model" that is "unparalleled in the EU" and "totally contrary to the European Charter of Fundamental Rights."