‘Gray Pride’ Protests Hungary’s Ban on Gay Pride Marches
The demonstration calls into question the right-wing government's efforts to criminalize dissent and eradicate LGBTQ visibility.
Members of the LGBTQ community gathered in Budapest, Hungary, for a “gray pride” demonstration, mocking the right-wing Hungarian government’s law banning Pride marches.
Protesters have staged demonstrations in the capital city for weeks to protest the legislation, which they say goes far beyond opposing homosexuality and infringing on the right of individuals to assemble peacefully.
The ruling Fidesz (Hungarian Civiv Alliance) party, led by autocrat Viktor Orbán, pushed through the law under the guise of “protecting children” from being exposed to demonstrations of LGBTQ identity.
The law bans Pride-themed marches and festivals and imposes fines of up to 200,000 forints ($550 U.S.) for organizers or anyone who attends an LGBTQ event.
To enforce the law and mete out the fines, the law permits police to use facial recognition technology to identify participants.
In a unique protest, anti-government demonstrators showed up dressed in gray and carrying monochrome-colored flags, instead of rainbow Pride colors, holding ironic signs with satirical slogans, such as “Sameness is Trendy,” reports AFP.
Other demonstrators carried more serious signs, reading, “Enough of the lies” and “Down with Orbán! We want democracy!”
The “gray” protest rally was organized by the parody political party, the Two-tailed Dog Party (MKKP), which has been harshly critical of the law.
“Look at all these people here now, dressed in gray — a perfect display of what sameness looks like,” demonstrator Kata Bicskei, 53, told AFP. “That’s the twist, of course. We don’t want everyone to be the same.”
Another protester, Tamas Olajos, said that the humor of the protest “exposes the absurd” and was a “way to respond to a regime that takes itself too seriously.”
LGBTQ advocates have criticized the Pride ban as a way to justify efforts by the right-wing government to suppress dissent, accusing Fidesz politicians of scapegoating the LGBTQ community to deflect criticism of their poor handling of the economy and government affairs.
The Pride ban comes ahead of the 2026 elections, when the Tisza (“Respect and Freedom”) party is expected to bring one of the first significant challenges to Fidesz’s 16-year-long hold on power.
Péter Magyar, a former Fidesz official who has become the leader of Tisza, has successfully attacked Orbán over the country’s stagnating economy and its isolation from the European Union due to the country’s alleged human rights abuses and its contempt for basic freedoms.
Although homosexuality is legal in Hungary and discrimination based on sexual orientation and sex is technically against the law, Orbán has attempted to roll back freedoms for LGBTQ people, accusing them of trying to “groom” children and foster anti-nationalist beliefs.
Following the example of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Orbán has previously sought to incite anti-LGBTQ and anti-Western sentiment and rally conservative voters behind his political agenda.
Following passage of the Pride ban, Budapest Pride condemned the law as a form of “fascism,” as reported by PinkNews.
“The Hungarian government is trying to restrict peaceful protests with a critical voice by targeting a minority. Therefore, as a movement, we will fight for the freedom of all Hungarians to protest!” the group said in a statement.
“Hungarians are a freedom-loving nation,” the statement continued. “We know that if the government tries to ban protests with critical voices, they will face resistance from the whole of society…. They lie to their voters about a child protection measure, but there is no child protection in this bill.”
Support Metro Weekly’s Journalism
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
You must be logged in to post a comment.