Pride Month in Hungary
This summer, Hungary’s parliament passed a law banning the distribution of content in schools deemed to “promote” homosexuality to people under the age of 18. A top human rights official called it “an affront against the rights and identities of LGBTI persons.” We call it horrific, dehumanizing bullshit.
It’s part of a larger trend in Hungary of laws designed to vilify LGBTQ+ people—as well as immigrants and other groups—as the country’s longtime Prime Minister Viktor Orbán looks to consolidate conservative support ahead of next year’s elections.
There are terrifying effects for queer people living in Hungary, but here at Geza Travel, we wanted to talk about what it might mean for LGBTQ+ travelers and our mission of providing an unfiltered, inclusive look at a complex country that we love.
Budapest is the beating heart of Hungary’s LGBTQ+ life, and this week, Budapest Pride will kick off its summer of celebrations with an opening ceremony and, later in the summer, a march through the streets of the capital. For anyone who’s marched in pride celebrations anywhere in the world, pride is an exhilarating time, and all the more so in Hungary where pride is so deeply political and personal.
Ten years ago, Geza’s founders marched in the 2011 Budapest pride parade at a similar moment of national unease. Orbán had recently regained power, and a far-right wing nationalist party was planning to stage counter demonstrations. As the parade coursed down the city’s iconic Andrássy boulevard, marchers were soon rerouted around the Oktogon traffic interchange and squeezed into the narrow residential streets nearby. It was only later that it was clear; police had been unable to clear rock-throwing counter-demonstrators and, to protect marchers, made a last-minute change to the route.
It was the right decision. In 2007, anti-gay nationalist protesters attacked marchers, screaming homophobic slurs, giving Nazi salutes, and threw smoke bombs. Eleven people were injured. Human rights organizations blamed the police for failing to stop the violence.
In recent years, Orbán and his allies have increasingly followed a Russia-style playbook of anti-gay hate, but the leaders of Budapest Pride and other activists have been steadfast, continuing to organize Budapest Pride and standing strong as homophobic assholes have repeatedly attacked Aurora, a community center in the city and home to some of its most prominent LGBTQ+ and human rights organizations.
Hungary has a long history of LGBTQ+ activism. According to Central European University Professor Hadley Renkin, gay social life became more organized in the 1980s, blossoming in the 1990s with publications, mutual support organizations, and telephone help lines. But the space for gay civic action and queer existence has radically shrunk in recent years.
So is Hungary unsafe for LGBTQ+ travelers? We don’t think so. We do advise travelers to take precautions. Hungarians are less accommodating in public when it comes to displays of affection among gay people; trans people in particular have become targets of attacks and of legislated hatred. Yet there is something magical about spending an evening at Aurora, having a beer and sitting around with queer activists from across the country. Or piling into a pocket gay bar or nightclub to dance the night away with friends.
We think it’s important for our guests to know about this troubling moment in Hungary, learn about it, but also visit civil rights groups, donate to Budapest Pride, and show their support for LGBTQ+ life and culture in Hungary. To our LGBTQ+ clients and friends, we believe Hungary can be a wonderful place to visit and spend time. We’re happy to introduce you to some of the young people doing the hard work of organizing against hate; provide a guide to some of the places that provide safe havens for queer people across the country; and ensure that your trip is safe, meaningful, and transformative.