Thousands of Hungarians turn out in solidarity with LGBT community

Budapest, Jul 24 (EFE).- More than 10,000 people took part Saturday in this capital’s annual pride march to show support for Hungary’s LGBT community in the face of policies coming from the right-wing government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban that many see as intended to promote intolerance toward sexual minorities.

“All across Europe, all the way from Ireland to Romania, from Portugal to Finland, people are looking at this city today,” German member of the European Parliament Terry Reintke told a record crowd in Budapest’s Madach Square.

“And what they see is absolutely breathtaking. They see a community, they see all of you so strong, so resilient and so inspirational in these difficult times. And they send you all their love and solidarity and they want to tell you: you are not alone,” she said.

Last month, the Hungarian parliament passed a law barred the sharing with minors of content related to homosexuality or gender change.

The restriction, which applies both in the schools and to mass media, was a last-minute addition to a bill providing for harsher punishment of pedophiles.

The legislation has created conflict between Hungary and many of its partners in the 27-member European Union, whose executive arm, the European Commission, is pursuing legal action against Orban’s government for infringing on the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer people.

From Madach Square, the Budapest Pride procession made its way across the emblematic Szabadsag Bridge over the Danube that links the two halves of the capital before concluding at Taban Park.

Several extremist organizations called for a counter-protest, but only a few dozen people responded and police kept them well away from the march. EFE mn/dr