The Pride Parade in Budapest was cancelled this year. But queer visibility is perhaps more important than ever – especially in the Eastern European country where right-wing forces have curtailed the rights of queer people in recent months. Without further ado, the city’s leaders therefore raised the rainbow flag at the city hall. In a flaming Facebook post, the mayor of Budapest is also campaigning for the rights of the queer community in Hungary. Prime Minister Victor Orbán will not like this.

“Budapest belongs to everyone”: This is how Gergely Karácsony’s (45) Facebook post begins. The words can also be found on his profile picture, together with rainbow colours. The mayor makes clear: it is much more than just an election campaign slogan.

“The capital’s leaders, elected last October, have been working since to ensure that all residents and communities can feel that Budapest is also their home. We believe that Budapest should be the city of rights and not the city of privilege, where everyone can stand up for their opinions, views and identity”.

It is said to be the first time that the rainbow flag was hung at Budapest City Hall next to the flags of Hungary and Budapest. It is the year of the Corona pandemic, a special year in many ways. Since the Pride Parade was also cancelled in Budapest, Mayor Karácsony and the city government have decided to show the flag anyway.

“We have decided to make it clear that Budapest is proud of all its citizens who live their freedom and stand up for their own community. After all, everyone who does this is not only doing it for their own community, but for all communities. An accepting city is good for everyone. Not only for those who belong to the LGBTQ community, but also for those who live their lives in a completely different way.”

For the 25th time this year, the queer community is standing up for its own rights, Karácsony explains. In recent years, thanks to the increasing acceptance of the citizens, a peaceful and joyful parade has been held to celebrate the freedom of love, said the 45-year-old. Corona prevented this from happening this year – but the program of the Budapest Pride Cultural Festival still takes place in respect of current health regulations.

Sun + rain = rainbow over Budapest

Raising the flag is a courageous step – and an important signal for the queer community in Hungary and all of Eastern Europe. Especially in view of the homo- and transphobic agenda of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Only in May of this year, the Hungarian parliament passed a law denying legal recognition to transgender people.

Karácsony is a political scientist and politician. He was elected mayor of the entire city of Budapest in 2019. Before that he had been mayor of the 14th bourough of Zugló since 2014. He belongs to the Párbeszéd Green Party and was supported by a centre-left alliance. The mayor closed his post with the wish that next year we could walk the Pride Route together again and celebrate the freedom of love.

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