This year, Budapest Pride marks its 30th anniversary. For three decades, Hungary’s LGBTQIA+ community has marched through the capital with courage, resilience, and hope. But instead of celebrating this milestone, 2025 brings with it one of the darkest moments in the history of Hungarian queer activism.
In March, the Hungarian Parliament voted in favour of a law that effectively bans Pride marches — making Hungary the only EU country to legally restrict LGBTQIA+ gatherings. This is not just a symbolic gesture: it’s a deliberate attack on queer visibility, freedom of expression, and the right to assembly.
And yet, Budapest Pride will go ahead sur June 28. Because the law — as oppressive as it is — doesn’t criminalize participation. According to TASZ, a leading Hungarian civil rights organisation, taking part in the march may be considered a regulatory offence, but not a criminal act. At worst, participants face a fine ranging between €17 and €510. Activists have already announced legal aid and solidarity funds to help those who might be targeted.
What the government hopes is that fear will keep people away. But as TASZ argues, the more of us who show up, the less effective the intimidation becomes. Visibility is protection. Numbers are power.
That’s why this anniversary matters more than ever. Pride in Budapest isn’t just for Hungarians — it’s a frontline in the ongoing struggle for LGBTQIA+ rights in Europe. What happens there sets a precedent. If a Pride march can be banned in an EU capital without a loud international response, what’s stopping others from following?
So maybe this year, instead of just watching from afar, we should go. To stand with the Hungarian LGBTQIA+ community. To say that queer lives — and queer joy — will not be legislated out of existence. And to remind those in power that thirty years of Pride cannot be erased with one law.
Budapest. June 28. Be there!
Vous aimerez aussi
-
Nous qui parlons: holding feminist space and building a living archive of women’s voices
Once a month at La Tricoterie, in Brussels, a small group gathers in the mezzanine
-
Stonewall Without a Rainbow: Trump’s Rules Just Tore Down Our Flag
The Pride flag has been pulled down from the Stonewall National Monument in New York
-
Criminalising Pride: Hungary Wants to Jail the Man Who Refused to Disappear
In southern Hungary, a queer Roma teacher is facing prison for doing something that should
-
Can We Still Find Love Without Swiping? RTBF’s “La Vraie Vie” Challenges the Dating App Era
In a world where finding love often happens through endless swipes and ghosted chats, RTBF’s
-
Glitter, Balls and Solidarity: A Valentine’s Drag Bingo That Actually Saves Queer Lives
On Friday 13 February 2026, Brussels is serving camp with a cause: a Charity Drag
French 
English 
Dutch