Police in Hungary have banned lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Hungarians and their supporters from peacefully assembling to celebrate Pride, while instead allowing a hate group to march on the same day.

A separate LGBT related event, planned to coincide with the official Budapest Pride march on June 28, was banned by police three times. Organizers challenged the ban at the Supreme Court, but despite twice ruling in their favor and ordering police to reexamine their request, the Court ultimately upheld the ban.

In response to authorities' attempts to thwart freedom of assembly, Budapest's Lord Mayor announced on June 17 that the city, alongside co-organizers the Rainbow Mission, would host the official Pride as a municipal event-one that does not require police approval. Police issued a ban on the event anyway, while the Lord Mayor insisted that Pride will go ahead on June 28. The legal status of the June 28 Pride remained unclear at the time of writing.

Meanwhile, a far-right extremist and known hate group notified police on June 16 that it would hold its own assembly on the same day as Pride and along the traditional Pride route. But unlike the peaceful Pride event, police have not banned this march.

The Hungarian government has a long history of discriminating and fueling hatred against LGBT people. A controversial 2021 law bans any public LGBT expression as harmful to children, wrongly conflating LGBT identities with pedophilia.

New draconian legal reforms underpin authorities' recent attempts to ban Pride and other LGBT events, including constitutional changes in April under the guise of prioritizing "child protection" over most fundamental rights, and amendments to the Assembly Act in March.

These bans and discriminatory laws have drawn international criticism. In May, 20 European Union member states issued a joint statement condemning Hungary's legal measures that ban Budapest Pride and urged the European Commission to deploy its full rule-of-law enforcement tools unless Budapest revises the measures.

Pride is more than a march-it's a celebration of love, diversity, equality, and the freedom to be yourself. In Hungary, that freedom is under attack. The right to peaceful assembly is a cornerstone of democracy. Hungary's government is dangerously treating it as optional.

Hungary's leaders should reverse these bans, repeal discriminatory laws, and ensure Budapest Pride can proceed safely and visibly. Pride is not a threat; hate is.

Source: Human Rights Watch