SPECIAL EDITION BUDAPEST PRIDE
Significance of this year’s Budapest Pride is a test of fundamental freedoms in Hungary and Europe. A newsletter powered by DerAffe.io.
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Budapest Pride and the Politics of Suppression
For more than a decade, Hungary’s ruling Fidesz party has transformed national institutions into ideological apparatuses, consolidating power and eroding democratic norms under the guise of Christian values and national sovereignty. Now, Pride—one of Central Europe’s most visible and defiant celebrations of LGBTQ+ life—has been drafted into the theatre of state repression.
Our coverage of Budapest Pride delves into how the Hungarian government has sought to repurpose the event, turning it from a platform for queer expression into a cautionary emblem: a symbol weaponised to warn those who refuse to fall in line with Viktor Orbán’s regime. The state’s tactics are sophisticated and chillingly effective—ranging from media disinformation to the criminalisation of dissent under laws that equate LGBTQ+ advocacy with subversion.
Yesterday, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed her support for the banned Budapest Pride demonstration. Hungary’s Justice Minister, however, warned other EU countries that participation in the Pride constitutes a ‘criminal offence’.
Diplomatic and cultural representatives of 33 countries expressed their support for the event. Five of the 27 EU member states – Italy, Croatia, Slovakia, Romania, and Bulgaria – did not endorse the statement.
Never before have so many EU politicians participated in the Rainbow Parade in Budapest. Former heads of government, representatives of the European Commission, and EU politicians – all are coming together to stand up for liberal values alongside the LGBTQ+ community in Hungary’s capital this weekend.
This dossier brings together the most urgent and revealing reports, shedding light on the orchestrated campaign to politicise Pride and silence resistance.
Here are the most essential articles:
Orbán’s challenger hopes that Pride will come before a strongman’s fall. He just can’t say so by Kim Willsher & Flora Garamvolgyi
Hungary Banned Pride and Sparked a Gray Revolution by Aurola Gyorfy
Slovakia Follows Hungary Follows Trump, Austria is Next by Dominik Böhler
Maja T: How a Non-Binary Activist Became a Test Case for the European Union by Taylor Abbot & Raz Ion
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The newsletter is edited by me, Taylor Abbot, the News Editor of GAY45.
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