25 March 2025

On 18 March 2025, the Hungarian parliament passed legislation that outlaws gay pride events, even permitting the use of face-recognition technology to identify and penalize those who take part in such events. In an attempt to suppress gay pride parades, this hastily-passed law also attacks a cultural institution that is deeply treasured by countless LGBTQ+ individuals, families, and allies throughout the world. In addition, this law reflects a surging tide of fear and misunderstanding as well as a profound failure of human empathy in a supposedly democratic country and a member state of the European Union.

By seeking to ban public expressions of LGBTQ+ identity, Hungarian politicians are violating fundamental human rights; they also reveal a troubling disregard for democratic civic values and basic religious principles.

At the heart of this controversy lies a critical misunderstanding of what Pride represents. LGBTQ+ Pride (to use more accurate terminology) is a profound declaration of human dignity—a public affirmation that every individual, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, deserves respect, love, and the opportunity to live authentically and openly in society. For those who approach this issue through a Christian lens, the celebration of a community’s identity reflects the highest ideals of the faith.

According to the Gospels, Jesus preached a message of acceptance rooted in love and compassion. In fact, he consistently challenged societal norms that marginalized individuals, extending grace to those whom society had rejected. The Christian message, at its core, is a call to radical inclusion because Jesus’ message of acceptance transcended personal differences, cultural prejudices, and even religious and social boundaries.

Authentic Christian theology calls for the recognition of the inherent dignity of every human person, and the biblical principle of being created in God’s image means that every single person holds intrinsic worth. This worth is not diminished because of sexual orientation or gender identity. Pride parades, therefore, should be viewed not as a challenge to faith but rather as a powerful celebration of the beautiful human diversity that God has created.

Banning pride events serves a nefarious purpose because it drives individuals and communities – including young people struggling to understand and embrace their own sexual orientation and gender identities – into isolation, increased rates of mental health challenges, discrimination, and societal fracture. True faith-based responses, in contrast, embrace, support, and create spaces of genuine understanding for everyone, including the least among us.

We live in a world today that is increasingly under the sway of politicians eager to marginalize the least in our societies, much like the leaders in Jesus’ time who oppressed those considered the outsider and the other. Now more than ever, we need public expressions of LGBTQ+ pride because they serve as crucial and life-giving venues for visibility, education, love, and the building of human connection. Pride is not about undermining faith but about affirming fundamental human rights and celebrating the God-given nature of our human condition.

The most authentic religious responses to the celebration of pride stem from love, compassion, acceptance, and joy. Rather than suppress the celebration of uniqueness and difference in our society, let us revel in the diversity of human identity and experience.

And make no mistake about it: the attempt to ban LGBTQ+ Pride in Hungary is not just a Hungarian issue—it is a crucial test for all who claim to value democracy, human rights, and, for Christians, the Gospel itself. Will we allow political leaders to misuse faith as a tool of exclusion, or will we reclaim it as a force for radical love?

Let us follow the lead of the thousands of protestors who, in the best spirit of gay pride, responded to this law by taking to the streets and making their voices heard. Let us make our voices heard not only in Hungary but throughout the world!

 Bernard Schlager, CLGS Executive Director