Budapest Mayor Defies Anti-Pride Law

Hungary’s far-right government might want to cancel Pride, but Budapest’s mayor isn’t having it. In a bold move that’s as fabulous as it is political, Mayor Gergely Karacsony announced that the city will officially host this year’s Budapest Pride on June 28 — as a municipal celebration of freedom. That’s right, no permits needed. No police veto. Just unapologetic queerness in the streets of a capital that’s done pretending to play nice with Orban’s anti-LGBTQ agenda.

Hungary’s parliament — stuffed to the brim with Viktor Orban’s Fidesz party loyalists — passed legislation in March giving police the power to ban LGBTQ marches under the guise of “protecting children.” The law even allows the use of facial recognition tech to ID participants. But Karacsony is taking the high road and the side of history, declaring that “freedom and love cannot be banned.” In a video posted Monday, he said: “In this city, there are no first- or second-class citizens… and the Budapest Pride cannot be banned either.”

A Mayor, a March, and a Message

It’s not just lip service. By transforming Pride into a city-organized event, Karacsony effectively shields it from Orban’s crackdown. The message is crystal clear: Budapest belongs to all its residents — queer, straight, and everything in between. And while Orban might be busy rewriting the constitution to recognize only “male and female,” the capital’s progressive leadership is rewriting the playbook on resistance.

This is more than a loophole. It’s a lifeline. For Hungary’s LGBTQ community, which has endured years of escalating hostility — from laws banning LGBTQ content in schools to government-sponsored anti-queer propaganda — this move is a defiant shout in a nation forced into a whisper. “We can only be free together,” the mayor said. That sentiment may not sit well in the countryside, where Fidesz’s ultra-conservative base still clutches its rosaries, but it rings loud and proud in Budapest.

Orban’s Obsession with ‘Protecting Children’

Let’s not kid ourselves. The Hungarian government’s obsession with “protecting children” is political theater — a smokescreen for anti-LGBTQ discrimination. Just like in 2021, when Orban’s government banned educational content “promoting homosexuality,” the latest law isn’t about safety. It’s about silencing and scapegoating — especially as the 2026 election looms and Orban scrambles to rile up his conservative voters.

And what better target than a rainbow flag waving in the wind?

But this time, the rainbow is biting back. Pride is going forward, and it’s going municipal. For LGBTQ Hungarians, this year’s march is more than symbolic. It’s survival. It’s visibility. It’s proof that, even under oppressive regimes, community and courage can outmaneuver cruelty.

Budapest just put Orban on notice: Pride will march, with or without your permission.