Thousands of Hungarians defied sweltering heat and authoritarian anti-LGBTIQA+ Prime Minister Viktor Orban to celebrate Budapest Pride.
The event follows last week’s equally sizzling parades in Madrid and Bucharest.
The parade took place in 40-degree heat along a route unprotected by shade. But the marchers were determined to defend LGBTIQA+ rights in the country.
“Can you hold the 27th annual Budapest Pride parade in the middle of Orban’s illiberal, anti-LGBTQ, autocratic, far-right kleptocracy?” asked Tibor M. Kalman on Twitter.
“F_ck yes, you can,” he replied to his own question.
Question: Can you hold the 27th annual Budapest Pride parade in the middle of Orban’s illiberal, anti-LGBTQ, autocratic, far-right kleptocracy?
Answer: Fuck yes, you can.#BudapestPride ️️❤️
@444hu 1/3 pic.twitter.com/8BGk0qavvE
— Tibor M. Kalman (@kalmantibs) July 23, 2022
Along the route, marchers stopped to decorate a statue of Ronald Reagan with rainbow flags. One kindly soul even gifted the former US President sun protection in the form of a hat.
Reagan Pride #budapestpride pic.twitter.com/KRieQ6FfMu
— László Molnár (@lacalaca85) July 23, 2022
Notoriously homophobic Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban gave a speech in Romania the same day, again attacking LGBTIQA+ rights.
“The father is a man, the mother is a woman, leave our children alone.”
In 2021, Orban banned mention of homosexuality or gender transition in the media, supposedly to protect children.
However, in a first, the Mayor of Budapest hosted a reception for this year’s Pride march.
Of course, some protestors took the opportunity to mock Orban’s adoption of the Putin playbook.
In one hour, over 30.000 persons will march in the 27th @budapestpride!
Despite Orban using the Russian playbook to try to dismantle Hungary’s biggest freedom movement in 3 decades, more and more LGBTIQ+ persons are standing up.
— Rémy Bonny ️ (@RemyBonny) July 23, 2022
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