This year at least 35.000 people marched in the 28th Budapest Pride March, the final event of the month-long Budapest Pride Community Festival.
The number of participants in the far-right counter-demonstrations did not exceed 25-30.
The march was started by Budapest Pride organizer Ádám Csernus from Vajdahunyad Castle.
40 people marched with us from more than 17 cities, whose participation was supported by the Budapest Pride application. 40 NGOs, rural LGBTQ associations, political parties and inclusive companies took part as well.
In the Civil Village, 15 NGOs presented their activities, and the two-year educational program so-called “Befogadó terek” (Inclusive Spaces), a joint project of Budapest Pride, Amnesty International, Háttér Társaság and Labrisz Leszbikus Egyesület, was also on display.
After the march, singer and songwriter Martina Király and guitarist Zsolt Barta performed. Kristóf Steiner introduced he Mayor of Budapest, Gergely Karácsony, who gave a supporting speech. Dávid Bedő, President of the Parliamentary Group for a Diverse Hungary, and Szilvia Szénási, Roma activist and head of the Uccu Foundation also spoke. Sári Palugyai said a moving farewell to Györgyi Lang, Hungarian singer, her mother and host of our 2021 event.
Viki Radványi, president of Budapest Pride also gave a speech. Together with Phiren Amenca and the Haver Alapítvány, they announced that they will launch a campaign to take joint action against vulnerable minority legislation. In the campaign, they call on Katalin Novák, President of Hungary to be the President of Everybody.
Link to the petition: https://szabad.ahang.hu/petitions/novak-katalin-legyen-minden-ember-koztarsasagi-elnoke
Trinity Bee, a drag queen entertained the audience with her show between speeches.
As an indication of the seriousness of the LGBTQ situation in Hungary, 49 embassies and cultural institutes have issued an unprecedented joint statement urging national governments to end discriminatory laws and rhetoric against the LGBTQ community in Hungary. The event was attended by the embassies of the United States of America, Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Slovenia, the Netherlands, and Kosovo.
This year, the visibility of the participating NGOs was enhanced by a banner on the stage. Rural organizations and groups were also given a special vehicle this year, with a large banner with their logo on it, highlighting the importance of grassroots initiatives outside Budapest.
The 28th Budapest Pride March was made possible by thousands of hours of hard work by more than 300 volunteers, nearly 30 project members and 14 organizers. This year, for the first time, the march returned to the same place where it started. We also changed our security concept, replacing static entry points with the tried and tested ribbon-lining at the edges of the march.
The Pride atmosphere will continue from 22.00 in the evening in Budapest Park, where the biggest LGBTQ party in the country, the Rainbow Party, will take place.
(Budapest Pride)
Main picture: Participants of the 28th Budapest Pride march on Andrássy út on July 15, 2023. MTI/Tamás Kovács
