Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony told the 31st Budapest Pride march on Saturday that Hungary’s reclamation of freedom and democracy was thanks to everyone’s participation and responsibility, but he also noted that the laws used to ban Pride last year, “laws that sought to ban freedom and love, are still on the statute books”.
Referring to anti-LGBTQ+ legislation passed under the previous government that remains in force, he declared: “This cannot go on much longer.” The mayor insisted that Budapest had been a different story, and “we preserved our values — freedom, solidarity, humanity, and responsibility for the future, even in the darkest years.”
“We kept them alive so they could return when our country was finally free,” he said. But defending these principles was not enough, and they must be put into practice, he added. He called for a society where human dignity and personal autonomy are fully respected. “Power is only worthy of support if it builds a country that is a home for all,” he added, “one that liberates the economy, culture, civil society, and local governments — and through them, the people themselves.”
Karácsony urged Hungarians to imagine a new world, one governed not by old dogmas but by eternal values, where nature is a stage for life, knowledge a shared resource, and dignity a right. “The time has come to move forward on the path Hungary once started before the last 16 years of backsliding,” he said. “We must continue toward equal rights for same-sex couples, a path our European friends have already taken.” He added that he would not like to wait too long to marry the first same-sex couple in Budapest.
He noted that Hungarian and Pride flags flying together on the Elizabeth Bridge symbolise that patriotism and acceptance reinforce each other.
Protesters disrupted the march holding banners that read “Rainbow family equals child endangerment” and “Sin cannot be a source of pride! Budapest is not Sodom!” Police removed a group blocking the route and arrested a man for public indecency on the bridge. Two others were detained near Astoria for throwing vegetables at marchers.
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What a ‘tard.
Surely Budapest’s finances being on the brink of bankruptcy–as he is quick to remind us every single month, like clockwork–or the city being filthy should be his top concerns, rather than two whatevers getting “married.”
I really don’t see how gay “marriage” positively affects the city or the nation, and I certainly don’t see why it should be an obsession of an elected public office holder.