What Can We Learn from Hungary Pride?

Section 28 ended on my twelfth birthday. I was just young enough to escape the worst of its silencing impact. By the time I was old enough to fully connect with my queerness, Pride in the UK had already begun to change. The marches were still political, but the mood was shifting. More celebration, less confrontation. More party than protest.

There’s power in joy. There’s strength in being seen, in taking up space with colour and confidence. But watching what’s happening in Hungary, where LGBTQ+ people face political repression, censorship, and open hostility, is a sharp reminder of how quickly those freedoms can be taken away. Pride in Budapest is still a risk. Still a necessity. Still defiant.

Looking at Hungary isn’t just looking at the past. It’s a warning. A glimpse of what could easily take hold in the UK. And by consequence, in Wales.

Here in Wales, we’re fortunate to have built some strong foundations. We have legal protections, inclusive education, a public sector that often leads on equality, and a growing network of queer community spaces. But we don’t always use that collective strength to its full potential. Advocacy can feel fragmented. Community organising doesn’t always translate into political influence. And as UK politics grows more hostile, with rising anti-trans rhetoric and the risk of far-right parties like Reform gaining ground, the protections we’ve built in Wales feel more fragile.

We cannot assume progress is permanent. We have to fight to protect it and to push further.

Pride is one of our strongest tools, but it needs balance. In Hungary, Pride is still raw protest. In Wales, we’ve leaned into the party and there’s value in that. Sponsorship helps make events possible, but the message must remain clear. Pride must stay rooted in community, led by those most affected, and never lose its political edge. Our actions must also build bridges, not shut out those we hope to bring along with us.

We’re not Hungary. Not yet. But the conditions that led to Hungary’s backlash exist here too. If we want to shape a Wales that’s inclusive, just, and truly proud, we need to act now with clarity, courage, and community.

Let Pride be protest and party. Let it be joyful, political, welcoming, and fierce. And let’s make sure no one has to rely on luck to grow up safe, supported, and free.

Queeraeth is a queer-led media and community platform based in Wales. Follow us for stories, events and action.