"I am gay, young, and pro-peace," Richard Barabas, group leader of the Budapest chapter of the opposition Parbeszed-Greens said in the municipal assembly on Wednesday, adding that the city's LGBTQ Pride festival was "for me and many hundreds of thousands of Hungarians is not just a weekend programme ... but an event at which I can feel equal, without being ashamed."

Barabas reflected on remarks of Prime Minister Viktor Orban made in his speech on the state of the nation, and said Orban had "provoked" Pride organisers and civil activists "to divert attention from his own failures and his family getting rich".

"Pelting words of hatred and cynicism disperse the seeds of shame, while shame destroys lives; that is why I will fight against it," Barabas said, adding that "Budapest is free, diverse, and inclusive; it has been and will be."

Barabas handed over a volume of Queer Budapest to Alexandra Szentkiralyi, group leader of the ruling parties.

Mayor Gergely Karacsony said the right of assembly "applies to all communities of citizens ... freedom shall not be rationed." He also said he would soon meet Pride organisers, adding that "Pride is an organic part of the community we call Budapest."

Krisztina Baranyi, the mayor of district 9 said "Pride will be held despite all intimidation; banning the festival would require quitting the European Union."

Anna Szepesfalvy, deputy of the ruling parties, said "adults in Hungary can live the way and with whom they want to without restrictions ... but there is zero tolerance for infecting children with LGBTQ propaganda."

Szepesfalvy also proposed an independent review of the municipality and its companies' finances, "to root out elements that could have made steps funded by foreign entities to topple the government." She also called for a report from the municipality's envoy in Brussels on its activities.

David Vitezy of the Podmaniczky Movement said regarding plans to rent out railway stations for 99 years to private economic players that "public assets are being sold out here and now". He vowed to do everything in his power to make the plans public, and called on the government to come clear on the issue.

Source: 
MTI - The Hungarian News Agency, founded in 1881.

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