Regression of LGBTQAI+ Rights in Hungary
Hungary has witnessed a profound and systematic regression in LGBTQAI+ rights in recent years, marked by a succession of legislative, constitutional, and policy changes orchestrated by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party and its allies since 2010. The most recent and significant regression occurred in 2025, when constitutional amendments were passed that permit the government to ban public events organized by LGBTQ+ communities, most notably Budapest Pride, which draws thousands of participants annually. This legal shift is underpinned by earlier “child protection” laws introduced in 2021, which prohibit the “depiction or promotion” of homosexuality, gender reassignment, or non-heteronormative identities to minors in schools, media, and advertisements.
The legal landscape now enables not just the banning of public LGBTQ+ events but also the use of facial recognition technology to identify and penalize attendees with fines reaching up to 200,000 forints (approximately $546). Furthermore, the Hungarian constitution has been amended to recognize only two sexes, male and female, denying the legal existence and recognition of transgender and intersex individuals. These measures exclude and humiliate individuals who do not conform to traditional gender binaries, and they further strip away protections for other minority identities within the LGBTQAI+ spectrum.
The justification provided by the government centers on the narrative of “protecting children’s moral and physical development,” which is used as a pretext for curtailing assembly and expression rights not only for LGBTQAI+ individuals but potentially for all dissenting groups. The amendments currently prioritize children’s rights over all other rights except for the right to life, explicitly superseding the right to peacefully assemble, which has led legal experts and human rights advocates to condemn the laws as overtly authoritarian.
In addition to public assembly restrictions, legal gender recognition has been made virtually impossible, and adoption by same-sex couples has been explicitly banned through additional constitutional changes. Access to supportive educational content, media representation, and even products associated with LGBTQAI+ identities have been suppressed, often through vague language that enables broad and arbitrary enforcement. This legal framework creates a chilling effect, pushing LGBTQAI+ Hungarians further into the shadows and eroding hard-won civil rights on multiple fronts.
Interconnection with Extreme Right Political Views in Hungary
The regression of LGBTQAI+ rights in Hungary is not an isolated legal phenomenon but is deeply intertwined with the rise and institutionalization of extreme right political ideology. Since returning to power, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and the Fidesz party have actively promoted a brand of “illiberal democracy” that emphasizes nationalist, Christian-conservative, and anti-liberal values. This ideological stance targets LGBTQAI+ people as symbolic of Western “woke ideology” and moral corruption, positioning them as scapegoats for societal anxieties and as threats to traditional “family values” and the national identity. Far-right factions within and allied to Fidesz have publicly celebrated the passage of so-called “child protection” and anti-LGBTQAI+ laws as victories against what they perceive as imported liberal ideologies.
Extreme right-wing narratives in Hungary draw upon the classic authoritarian strategy of defining “insiders” and “outsiders,” with the LGBTQAI+ community depicted as a foreign, unnatural, or decadent influence in opposition to the “true” Hungarian nation. The government’s rhetoric is frequently accompanied by conspiracy theories regarding “foreign-funded NGOs,” alleged attempts by George Soros (a recurring figure in right-wing conspiratorial thinking) to undermine sovereignty, and a broader critique of “Brussels” or the European Union for promoting progressive social norms.
This agenda is advanced through broad legislative action that not only targets LGBTQAI+ individuals but also undermines other democratic rights and civil society actors, such as independent media, NGOs, and academic freedom. The passage of anti-LGBTQAI+ legislation often occurs with little public debate, rapid legislative processes, and is justified as a defense against international (especially EU) “ideological colonization”. The effect is a society polarized along cultural lines, in which LGBTQAI+ people and their allies are painted as enemies of the nation, further fueling the rise of the extreme right.
Comparison with Trumpism: Hungary and the United States
The political project advanced by Orbán’s government shares numerous parallels with Trumpism in the United States, particularly in its approach to right-wing populism, nationalism, and attacks on minority rights. Trumpism, as an ideology, is defined by a combination of far-right authoritarianism and right-wing populist strategies, emphasizing national sovereignty, anti-globalism, anti-elitism, and a cultural rejection of progressive and inclusive social policies.
Policy Similarities and Shared Rhetoric
Policy Area Hungary (Orbán/Fidesz) United States (Trumpism)
LGBTQAI+ Rights Laws ban “promotion” of homosexuality/gender nonconformity to minors; legal recognition denied; public Pride events banned; surveillance and fines for dissent Rolled back transgender rights; military ban on transgender personnel; restricted anti-discrimination protections in health, education, and social services
Narrative Justification “Child protection,” defense of “national/Christian values,” opposition to “woke ideology” and foreign (EU/NGO) influence “Religious freedom,” family values, opposition to “woke”/LGBTQ+ content in schools, claims of protecting children from “radical ideology”
Media and Civil Society Consolidation of state and pro-government media; suppression of dissent, surveillance of activists; intimidation of NGOs and academic institutions Delegitimization of critical media (“fake news”); attempts to defund or surveil NGOs; public attacks on academia and protest movements
Rule of Law and Democracy Constitutional amendments consolidate executive power; institutions subordinated to ruling party; undermining checks and balances Attempts to undermine judiciary independence; delegitimizing democratic processes; refusal to accept electoral defeat
In both systems, LGBTQAI+ rights have become a central element in culture wars, wielded instrumentally to shore up support from nationalist and religious-conservative bases, while serving as coded language for broader resistance against perceived Western or liberal international values. Both Orbán and Trump deploy emotionally charged rhetoric that associates LGBTQAI+ visibility with social decay, moral panic, and threats to children or civic order.
Institutional Strategies and Authoritarian Trends
Hungary and Trumpism also converge in their approaches to governing. Each has sought to exploit and expand executive power, undermine the independence of the judiciary, and consolidate control over media and information flows. Hungary’s transformation is considered a model for “electoral autocracy,” where multiparty elections persist, but the practical reality is one of executive dominance and suppression of organized opposition, criticism, and civil society. Similarly, Trumpism’s mode of governance displayed a preference for personal loyalty, disregard for governmental norms and ethics, and the marginalization of neutral state institutions in favor of a loyalist “administrative state”.
Notably, both Orbán and Trump encourage the portrayal of their political adversaries and minority groups not as legitimate participants in democracy, but as existential enemies of the people or the nation. This dynamic allows for the justification of regressive policies—including anti-LGBTQAI+ measures—on the grounds of “defending” society from allegedly subversive or corrupting forces.
Divergences and Contextual Particularities
While the parallels are significant, important differences exist:
Institutionalization: Orbán’s Hungary has embedded its anti-LGBTQAI+ agenda within constitutional and statutory frameworks, creating a deeply entrenched legal order that is difficult to reverse. In the United States, Trumpism has been largely constrained by entrenched democratic institutions, independent judiciary, and federal structures, though it succeeded in reversing or undermining executive-level policies regarding LGBTQAI+ rights.
International Positioning: Hungary positions its struggle against LGBTQAI+ rights as resistance to EU “interference” and claims of protecting national sovereignty, while also aligning with other right-wing and autocratic actors internationally (including public support for Trump’s return to power). Trumpism, in contrast, situates its anti-LGBTQ stances as resistance to domestic progressive agendas and “globalists,” but draws inspiration from regimes like Hungary and Russia for anti-liberal and nationalist policy models.
Social Mobilization and Cultural Context: Hungary’s laws have a pronounced chilling effect on civil society activism and public solidarity campaigns due to the threat of fines, surveillance, and legal sanction. The United States, despite setbacks under Trumpism, still maintains a robust advocacy and legal infrastructure capable of mounting sustained challenges to regressive policies.
Conclusion
The regression of LGBTQAI+ rights in Hungary is not accidental but is closely intertwined with the consolidation of an extreme right, illiberal political project that uses LGBTQAI+ issues as a lever to rewrite national identity, suppress dissent, and sustain power through populist, exclusionary narratives. The parallels with Trumpism are not merely rhetorical but reflect common global trends in far-right governance: deploying culture wars, subordinating law and democracy to executive will, and targeting minorities to galvanize a conservative base. Hungary, however, stands out for the rapid institutionalization of these trends, offering both a warning and a case study for those concerned with the preservation of liberal democracy and human rights worldwide.
