Forbidden Colours Condemns Hungary’s Ban on Budapest Pride
Forbidden Colours strongly condemns the Hungarian government’s announcement that Budapest Pride “will not take place in a public form” this year. This blatant attack on the human rights of LGBTQ+ people, orchestrated by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s autocracy, is yet another escalation in Hungary’s systematic dismantling of fundamental freedoms and European values.
Hungarian Minister Gergely Gulyás justified the ban by claiming that “the country should not tolerate Pride marching through the city center,” aligning the move with a proposed constitutional amendment allegedly protecting children’s rights. However, the government failed to provide any legitimate legal basis for how banning Budapest Pride would uphold this principle.
Rémy Bonny, Executive Director of Forbidden Colours, denounced the decision, calling it “a disgraceful attempt to erase LGBTIQ+ visibility and silence an entire community.”
“This is not just an attack on Budapest Pride—it’s an attack on democracy itself,” Bonny stated. “Freedom of assembly and expression are fundamental rights in the European Union. If Hungary gets away with banning Pride, what’s next? The European Commission and European leaders cannot afford to look away. This is the next step in the execution of Russia’s playbook by Hungary.”
The Hungarian government’s decision is part of a broader pattern of anti-LGBTQ+ policies, including its 2021 anti-LGBTIQ+ law, which equates LGBTIQ+ visibility with harm to minors, and its crackdown on independent media and civil society organizations, and originated from Russia’s 2013 anti-LGBTIQ+ law.
“This is the latest chapter in Orbán’s authoritarian playbook,” Bonny continued. “He is using LGBTQ+ people as scapegoats to consolidate power, undermine democratic institutions, and deflect from his government’s corruption and economic mismanagement. The European Union must respond with concrete actions—mere words of concern are no longer enough.”
Forbidden Colours urges the European Commission to launch an immediate infringement procedure against Hungary for violating EU treaties on fundamental rights as soon as these declarations are implemented. Furthermore, we call on the European Council to recognise the dramatic violation of EU fundamental values in Hungary by finally triggering article 7 TEU, depriving Hungary of its voting rights. The Council of the EU should also consider freezing EU funds to Hungary until it complies with European democratic values.
“We cannot allow EU taxpayers’ money to fund a government that systematically dismantles human rights,” Bonny added. “The time for hesitation is over. The EU must show that its commitment to democracy and human rights is not negotiable.”
Forbidden Colours stands in full solidarity with Budapest Pride and the Hungarian LGBTQ+ communities. We will continue to work with European institutions, EU national governments, civil society organizations, and activists to fight back against Orbán’s oppressive regime.
