The Hungarian LGBTQ+ community is demanding the restoration of its rights after years of restrictions

The Hungarian LGBTQ+ community is preparing to march in the streets of Budapest on Saturday for the annual Pride march, in a context marked by a major political change following the defeat of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in the April elections.

The event comes after several years of tension between authorities and LGBTQ+ rights organizations. Last year, a police attempt to ban the march sparked a massive mobilization, transforming the gathering into a major anti-government protest. Tens of thousands of people participated.

This year, with the rise to power of the center-right party led by Péter Magyar, the ban was lifted and organizers were granted permission to hold the march. Despite this progress, activists believe that many rights still need to be reclaimed.

In a message published before the event, the organizers claimed that last year's popular mobilization had forced the government to back down, while stressing that their objectives had not yet been achieved.

During his sixteen years in power, Viktor Orbán championed a conservative policy based on what he presented as the protection of traditional Christian values. His government adopted several controversial measures concerning the rights of LGBTQ+ people.

These include a ban on changing the sex indicated on official documents, restrictions on adoption by same-sex couples, and laws limiting the dissemination in schools of content related to homosexuality or gender transition.

Human rights organizations believe these measures have contributed to reducing the rights and visibility of LGBTQ+ people in Hungary. They now hope that the new political context will allow for reforms aimed at restoring certain protections and freedoms.

The Budapest march has thus become much more than a simple festive event: for many participants, it symbolizes the will to defend civil rights and to turn the page on a period marked by restrictions deemed discriminatory.