Approximately 1,200 people took part in the fourth edition of Pécs Pride on Saturday. There were therefore much fewer people than at the 2021 Hungarian gay pride parade, held for the first time not in Budapest. Among other diplomats, David Pressman, the US ambassador to Hungary, was also in Pécs.
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For the first time, Pécs Pride’s final stop was the main square of Pécs, which did not benefit the event from the point of view that there seemed to be few people there, in addition to the size of the square, among other things, because the separated part of Széchenyi tér, which was half closed by the police, was the only venue at that time for Pécs Pride they were admitted by the organizers, some of whom sat in the cafes and restaurants that were open after the several-kilometer march and listened to the speeches from there.
Open – Free – Happy – One of the marchers saw the molino and reacted as follows: Fidesz is the perfect opposite of these three slogans – Photo: Attila Babos/Szabad Pécs
Which were particularly strong. Márton Pál from Pécs (The family is the family movement) talked about the acceptance of LGBTQ people, the fight for acceptance, the differences in society and, of course, families, including rainbow families. Hella Zsirka, the operative manager of Háttér Társaság, spoke about trans people, the difficulties and internal struggles they have to go through, and the experiences that come to them from a young age, just because they are different, which means even more difficulty for them , who grow up in small communities.
Kristóf Steiner, a former music TV influencer and DJ who previously lived in Israel and then moved to Greece five years ago, started from the impression he had when he returned home to Hungary. Someone recognized him at the airport and told him that the country is better off without him, that he and others like him only cause harm, and that they should apologize to the Hungarians for this.
Kristóf Steiner then pulled out a piece of paper, a pre-written speech, where he listed who he was apologizing to. Which, of course, was by no means the kind of list that the man who addressed him at the airport would expect from him. This series of apologies was about more important things: that he believes that everyone can do more for everyone, that collective freedom belongs to all sentient beings, that they are responsible for those who do not have free rights and those who are oppressed or tried to destroy. And also about the fact that perhaps the greatest danger is tacit consent to evil.
There were many, but several shared the opinion that it was not enough – Photo: Attila Babos/Szabad Pécs
Even so, one of the strongest “speech” was when the main organizer of Pécs Pride, Géza B-Hábel, head of the NGO Diverse Youth Network, asked those present to observe a minute’s silence for the victims who lost their lives directly or indirectly because they were different.
Drag queen show – Lefújva
Although it was not included in the official program of Pécs Pride, organized for the fourth time now, the two organizers of the event are Szabad Pécs in his podcast said that they prepared not only for the closing party, but also for Széchenyi Square with a drag queen show. In the end, however, this was not possible, and the event, which had been announced for the main square until seven in the evening, ended after six thirty. Szabad Pécs was curious as to the reason for everything, so we found out that the drog qeen show was not canceled for technical reasons, but because of a difference of opinion between the organizers. We know that the main organizer was initially unaware that his co-organizers were preparing a drag queen show on the main square as well, but in the end they agreed on this, he accepted this request and program, but today, before the performance, he decided not to allow one of the participants to the stage because of his performance clothes. Géza B-Hábel told our newspaper about this that there was a show like this at the closing party before, and it will be this year as well, the organization on the main square in itself raised questions for him, and when he saw the costume of one of the performers, he asked that he not perform , but it ended with him having to blow the whole show.
Members of Parliament for a diverse Hungary – Gábor Kerpel-Fronius (Momentum) Member of Parliament Márton Tompos, president of Momentum, and György Sajgó, Momentum’s representative in Pécs, were also present at the march
Protesters
The Mi Hazánk Movement protested against the first and so far only rural Pride this year. About 10-12 protesters held the molinos in the far part of the main square in Pécs. Tamás Varga, the representative of Mi Hazánk in Pécs, told our question that LGBTQ people are violently spreading difference and their views with the march, which they are protesting against, because in his opinion they are influencing young people with this and with the sensitizing lectures at school. He maintained this even after we raised a question that LGBTQ people do not become LGBTQ people by choice.
They protested – Photo: Attila Babos/Szabad Pécs
Pressman a Pride-on
Diplomats for equality – Photo: Attila Babos/Szabad Pécs
After last year’s Pécs Pride, David Pressman, the ambassador of the United States of America to Hungary, also participated again, and before that he also met with human rights defenders. The ambassador also held a short impromptu press conference at the starting point of Pécs Pride, at tér 48 in Pécs, where he said that it was an honor for him to join the many Hungarians who are committed to promoting the freedom of all Hungarians. He added: “The United States will always stand with those who work to advance basic rights and human dignity. While these brave Hungarians fight to secure their future and advance their rights in their beloved homeland, the United States proudly marches by their side.” Our newspaper asked what you think about what Péter Magyar said in his foreign television interview a few days ago, according to which, bypassing the television journalist’s question, he said about the issue of LGBTQ people and rights that it is not among the issues considered most important by Hungarians. However, David Pressman said that he had not seen or heard this interview, so he could not comment on it.
