Gilles Verstraeten heads to banned Budapest Pride: “Don’t let them silence you”

Gilles Verstraeten, leader of the liberal group in the Brussels Parliament, is heading to Budapest this weekend to take part in the Pride march—despite an official ban by the Hungarian authorities. “This is a fundamental fight we must face together, across all ideological divides,” he says.

A history of resistance

This isn’t the first time that Gilles Verstraeten, who is openly gay, has stood in solidarity in Budapest. Several years ago, he joined protests when the Hungarian government banned public expressions of homosexuality—allegedly “to protect minors.” Freya Perdaens, who was also there at the time, will be joining him again this year.

“In 2021, Viktor Orbán pushed through the first anti-LGBT law, banning any form of LGBTI+ representation—on TV, in schools, even in public spaces,” Verstraeten explains. “Even an educational program that mentioned homosexuality was no longer allowed. Love is being censored. It’s a serious attack on freedom of expression and an attempt to erase the rainbow community from public life.”

Budapest Pride outlawed entirely

Now Orbán is going even further by banning Budapest Pride altogether. Freedom of assembly, the right to protest—no fundamental freedom is safe.

Verstraeten sees this ban as part of a broader pattern. “Local activists were already telling us back in 2021 how they were being scapegoated. Every time Orbán is under political pressure, he turns on the rainbow community. It’s a step-by-step dismantling of the liberal democratic rule of law.”

Rising polarization over LGBTI+ rights

Verstraeten also places his activism in a wider European context. “We’re seeing increasing polarization here as well. During Brussels Pride, our party float was attacked with bottles and paint by radical left-wing activists. Anyone who doesn’t share their worldview gets pushed aside—if necessary, with violence. Meanwhile, far-right parties like Vlaams Belang seize on these incidents to portray the entire community as a problem, just like Orbán does.”

That’s exactly why Verstraeten believes it’s crucial to remain visible. “This is a fundamental battle that must be fought together, regardless of political differences. What’s happening in Budapest today could happen elsewhere tomorrow. We need to show what we stand for: freedom of assembly, freedom of expression, the right to love, the right to feel safe, the right to be different, and a government that is subject to the rule of law. Anyone who defends those values unconditionally will never be silenced.”