BUDAPEST, Hungary (LifeSiteNews) — The Hungarian government announced that it will not allow an LGBT “pride” parade to take place in 2025, citing the protection of children.
Politico reported that Gergely Gulyás, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s chief of staff, declared at a weekly press conference that “there will be no Pride in the public form in which we have known it in recent decades. We believe that the country should not tolerate Pride marching through the city center.”
He defended the “common sense” move on the grounds that a “family man doesn’t usually go near Pride, he avoids that part of the city.” The comments echo remarks recently made by Orbán himself that Budapest Pride, the group that has organized the parade for decades, ought “not to bother preparing their march for this year” because “it would be a waste of time and money.”
The Washington Post added that the prohibition appears to be in line with Hungary’s 2021 Child Protection Act that “restricted depictions of homosexuality and gender reassignment.” But Gulyás acknowledged a potential “conflict between fundamental rights” that “has to be resolved.”
“This should be decided by the court or the police, if necessary,” he said. “I don’t know if only a constitutional amendment is needed or if other laws should be changed as well, but as we said, Pride in its current form will not take place.”
Budapest Pride maintains that this year’s march “will happen,” whether with twenty people or tens of thousands,” because “we’re fighting for the right of all Hungarians to protest, speak their minds, and stand up for themselves,” according to CNN.
Though not without American detractors, Orbán has won fans across the pond for taking numerous actions against LGBT ideology, for his hardline immigration stance, and for his effusive praise of U.S. President Donald Trump.