Last week, Budapest hosted its annual Pride Parade in an event whose usual association acquired a more powerful meaning: democracy.
This year, the march embodied a universal meaning: defiance, resistance, and bravery in the face of repressive measures under the guise of “family values.”
This was not just an LGBTQ+ parade, but a freedom parade for democracy in the broadest sense.
Context: Hungary under Orban
Orban and his Fidesz party consolidated their power for over a decade, gradually transforming Hungary from a democratic country into an authoritarian state.
Orban emphasises traditional “family values,” conservative morality, and nationalism, allowing him to consolidate the electorate while restricting freedoms. Orban’s government maintains a aggressive stance against the LGBTQ+ communities, imposing bans on education aimed at educating the youth on gender and sexual orientation.
In 2021, Hungary adopted a series of laws that severely restrict the rights of LGBTQ+ people, including a ban on discussing LGBTQ+ topics in educational institutions and a ban on transgender identity in public spaces. This has caused a wave of international criticism and protests within the country.
Pride Parade 2025: Celebration or Protest?
The Pride Parade has always been an event that unites people around the idea of equality and respect for diversity.
Yet in Hungary this year, the parade became an arena for political protest. Participants did not just march with rainbow flags and slogans about love and acceptance, instead coming out with a clear political message.
It was a parade of freedom against repression, a parade against the official rhetoric that justifies discrimination because of “care for the family.”
Orban’s “family values” masks the consolidation of control over society, the restriction of the rights of women, the LGBTQ+ community, and the opposition.
Queer Turn: Form of Resistance
What is especially interesting is that this year the parade received a pronounced queer turn.
Queer theory and by default, the culture, traditionally criticise the heteronormative structures of society, gained new weight here as tools of political resistance. Queerness has become more than just a question of sexual orientation or gender identity, but a subversion of authoritarian power.
Activists and participants in the parade use queer aesthetics and language to demonstrate their freedom and disagreement with imposed norms.
Reactions: Authoritie and Society
Of course, the Orban government did not stand aside.
The Hungarian authorities attempted to limit the parade, with heightened security measures, whilst state media traditionally covered the event through the prism of negative and conservative stereotypes.
Nevertheless, thousands of people took to the streets to declare themselves and support freedom.
The reaction in Hungarian society was polarised: some people support traditional views, while others see the parade as a opportunity for progress and change. The international community is also closely following the developments, supporting Hungarian activists.
Symmetry: Queerness and Democracy
This parade is not just an event for a small group of LGBTQ+ people. Instead, the tensions represent a sustained fight against Orban’s democratic backsliding in Hungary, one that scapgoats minorities to justify civil crackdown.
The quqer, turned freedom parade, is a manifestation of the sustained conflict between authoritarianism and democracy worldwide. Arguably, the fight for minority rights is an indicator of the freedom of society as a whole.
If the state begins to remove important topics of equality and tolerance from the agenda, it means that it is narrowing the space for all it's citizens.
Hungary is a worrying example in this regard. A country with a rich history and culture is now at a crossroads, where the choice between freedom and control is more acute than ever.
The Freedom Parade in Hungary with its distinct queer twist is a symbol of an era in which the fight for minority rights is becoming part of the fight for freedom for all citizens.
Politicians may use traditional values to limit freedoms yet society finds new ways to dissent.
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