Hungary’s parliament has passed a law banning LGBTQ+ pride events, including Budapest Pride, citing child protection concerns. The law, pushed through by Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s ruling party, imposes fines and allows facial recognition to identify attendees. Critics call it a political move amid Hungary’s economic struggles and democratic backsliding.

Hungary’s parliament has passed a new law banning LGBTQ+ pride events, including the well-known Budapest Pride march, which attracts thousands of participants every year. The legislation was introduced just one day prior and was swiftly pushed through parliament using an accelerated procedure. This was made possible by the ruling coalition’s supermajority, which allows them to amend the constitution without significant opposition or delay.

The bill was approved by a vote of 136-27 and was strongly supported by Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s party, Fidesz, along with their minority coalition partner, the Christian Democrats. This latest measure represents another rollback of rights and protections for LGBTQ+ individuals in Hungary, continuing a trend that has been a defining characteristic of Orban’s government in recent years.

The ban follows a series of similar laws that have targeted LGBTQ+ rights. One of the most controversial among them is the "child protection law" passed in 2021, which prohibits the inclusion of LGBTQ+ topics in school educational materials and bars their representation in television programs aimed at audiences under the age of 18. Tuesday’s legislation builds on this approach by categorizing the annual Pride march as a potential event that could be harmful to children. According to the government, this perceived risk takes precedence over the right to assemble, effectively making such events illegal.

Under the new law, individuals who attend a prohibited event could face fines of up to 200,000 Hungarian forints ($550, €500). The legislation specifies that any revenue collected from these fines must be allocated to "child protection" initiatives. Furthermore, the law grants authorities the power to use facial recognition technology to identify individuals who participate in banned pride events, raising concerns among human rights organizations about potential government overreach and threats to privacy.

The law has been met with immediate and strong opposition from LGBTQ+ activists and Budapest Pride organizers. After the bill was first introduced on Monday, organizers condemned it as a politically motivated attack on their community. In a statement, they argued that the government is exploiting LGBTQ+ people for political gain and reaffirmed their commitment to standing against discrimination. "It’s nothing more than political theater—the ruling party is using the LGBTQ community for its own gain. But we refuse to be anyone’s scapegoat," they said. They also criticized the government’s priorities, stating that while more and more people in Hungary are struggling with economic hardships, the prime minister is focusing on banning human rights protests instead of addressing the country’s pressing economic challenges.

Hungary has faced significant economic difficulties in recent years, frequently leading the European Union in inflation rates. The country has been struggling with a cost-of-living crisis that has affected many citizens. Meanwhile, Orban, who has been in power since 2010, has been widely criticized for undermining democratic institutions. The European Parliament has previously condemned Hungary as an "electoral autocracy," pointing to concerns about judicial independence, media freedom, and civil rights restrictions. With elections scheduled for 2026, the government’s approach to LGBTQ+ rights, along with its broader policies on democracy and the economy, is likely to remain a contentious issue both within Hungary and on the international stage.