The law also allows the government to use facial recognition technology to identify those who attend prohibited events
I'm sharing this to show the courage and determination of queer people.
Although homosexuality is legal in Hungary and discrimination based on sexuality and gender is against the law, marriage is defined as between a man and a woman and LGBTQ+ couples cannot adopt children.
Victor Orbán is a right-wing politician and has been prime minister of Hungary since 2010. He has sought to make Hungary an ideological center for an international conservative movement. Donald Trump is a big fan of his. He has steered Hungary towards fascism and his country is now considered to be the most corrupt in Europe.
In 2021, Victor Orbán’s right-wing government has cracked down on the LGBTQ+ community with legislation. Hungary passed an anti-LGBTQ law which equated LGBTQ people with pedophiles and saught to protect minors from LGBTQ-related information in advertising, media, schools, bookshops, and in family interactions. It is very similar to the law that Russia adopted in 2013.
Hungary is a member of the European Union and this law violates the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. In November 2024, a hearing took place at the Court of Justice of the European Union and a ruling is expect in autumn of 2025.
In 2025, a new constitutional amendment was added which essentially makes it a fundamental right of children not to be exposed to LGBTQ content, and as such, it bans gatherings that promote or display "any deviation from a person's gender at birth, as well as gender reassignment and homosexuality." In past years, more than 30,000 people participated have participated in Budapest Pride. Participating in such events is now a criminal offense and punishable by a fine and up to a year in prison. The amendment also permits the use of facial recognition software to identify participants. This amendment went into force on April 15, 2025.
In response, Hungary's LGBTQ community responded by participating in a peace march organized by the political party named the Two-Tailed Dog Party. Rather than wear rainbow colors, participants dressed in gray as a way to illustrate the absurdness of the law. Instead of rainbow flags, they waived monochromatic flags and held satirical signs like, "sameness is trendy."
