On April 12, over 10,000 people dressed in grey flooded the streets of Budapest, waving desaturated rainbow flags in a sharp, satirical protest. Dubbed “Gray Pride,” the demonstration mocked Hungary’s ban on Pride events — a ban backed by a freshly amended constitution that now enshrines anti-LGBTQIA+ discrimination into law.
Just two days later, the Hungarian Parliament formalised what critics call state-sponsored LGBTphobia. Marriage equality is now constitutionally blocked. Legal gender recognition? Gone. The new text even allows Pride marches to be banned in the name of “child protection” — a concept Orbán’s government twists to suppress visibility and silence queer voices.
But Hungary’s queer community isn’t backing down. Led by the Hungarian Two-Tailed Dog Party (MKKP), known for using humour as political critique, protesters marched with signs reading “Sameness is trendy” and “Censorship couture.” As one marcher put it: “We don’t want everyone to look the same. That’s exactly the danger.”
Artist Dóra Szilágyi, who co-designed the grey campaign visuals, told us: “They think stripping away our colours will make us disappear. But we are still here. Still visible. Even in black and white.”
Across Europe, this is more than a Hungarian issue. It’s a warning. And a call to unite. Budapest’s “Gray Pride” reminds us: joy is resistance, visibility is power — and Pride, in any colour, is never optional.
You may also like
-
Ramadan, Faith and Queerness: Why This Holy Month Also Belongs to LGBT+ Muslims
When Ramadan begins, much of the media talks about food, fasting and “community values” –
-
Trump 2.0 Meets a Queerer TV: Are Our Stories Being Written Out?
At the very moment LGBTQ+ rights are under renewed attack in the United States, queer
-
Queens of Joy: Ukrainian Drag, Queer Resistance and Why Our Solidarity Still Matters
As Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine drags into another year, Ukrainian drag artists and queer
-
Ricky Corazon: Creating Latin Queer Space in Brussels
DJ and event producer Rodrigo Aranda, aka Ricky Corazón, takes us into his journey of
-
Brussels Finally Has a Government. But What Does It Really Mean for Queer Rights?
After months of political deadlock, Brussels finally has a new regional government and a fresh
English 
Français de Belgique 
Nederlands (België)