IDAHO -- stand up against homophobia and transphobia!

Yepp, 17 of May is the IDAHO -- nah, not that one, it's a different one. Symbolic date? Exactly. May 17 was chosen as the day of the event because homosexuality was removed from the International Classification of Diseases of the World Health Organization on May 17, 1990. Since then, there are several examples of the diversity of approaches and actions that organisations engage in. One thing is common: those who participate think that it is an opportunity to raise your voice, send a message and fight for human rights -- a never-ending struggle? Arising from prejudice and ignorance, homophobia and transphobia can affect LGBTQ people’s lives in many ways. Every day, members of the LGBTQ community face disapproving comments, verbal attacks, hate speech, and physical violence, simply because their gender identity and/or sexual orientation is not what is accepted by the mainstream society. What's more in case of Hungary -- declarations of homophobia and transphobia can be heard even in the Parliament. And at this rate, Budapest Police’s practice of banning the pride march every year will soon become a Hungarian national tradition... nice.

Let's see how we celebrated IDAHO in Budapest! Organized by a couple of NGOs (including Budapest Pride, Amnesty International Hungary, Háttér Support Society for LGBT People, Labrisz Lesbian Association, the Hungarian LGBT Alliance and TransVanilla Transgender Association) the event took place at Deák tér from 4 pm and there were numerous programs. You can read the official press realease partly written by me (link here), you know I am one of the organizers of the Budapest Pride. What you could choose: support the Budapest Pride March with a video message, make sidewalk art with us, sign the Baltic Pride petition of the Amnesty International or join a discussion about transphobia held in Café Vis Major. The key is to say NO somehow.

I could not attend the discussion, but I spent two hours at Deák tér by interviewing strangers what they think about the pride march in general, if they plan to attend this year's etc. We recorded a number of speakers for this video of support. Besides one extreme homophobe guy, all the answers were relevant and instructive ...and I have to tell you my favorite one: I asked a middle-aged women who took her kids why she thought it was important to attend the event -- and what she replied was soooo encouraging -- she said that she wanted her children to be raised in a society in which same-sex couples were just as usual as hetero ones. Lovely!

...about the proposals submitted by the Hungarian far-right party

"We will not stand by!" -- the title itself refers to our answer -- what the hell is going on in this country? 

We (as organizers of Budapest Pride) have just published our statement about the proposals submitted by Jobbik which is the far-right party in Hungary. (link here)

Two days ago, on April 10, Jobbik representative Mirkóczki Ádám submitted a law proposal and two proposed amendments to the new constitution of Hungary that would, if accepted, amend the media law, the criminal code, advertising laws, and the constitution to make the very existence of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people in Hungary criminal and unlivable. Just to highlight the irony in it: Mirkóczki is a member of the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights, Minority, Civic, and Religious Affairs. WTF?!

So, what do all these things mean? Mirkóczki’s amendment of advertising laws would ban any ad that “portrays sexual disorders, especially sexual relationships between members of the same sex, as socially acceptable models to follow.” According to his recommendations, the constitution would guarantee the right of peaceful assembly to everyone except lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people; this would include banning the Budapest Pride march. Furthermore, it would impose fines on LGBTQ people for holding hands or kissing in public.

Well, ok radicalism, homophobia, fascism etc are fundamental factors when talking about a party like Jobbik, but I still can not believe that such proposals can be submitted in the 21st century... Seems that some Hungarian politicians not only 'supported' the propaganda law (I wrote some blog posts about that, link here) -- but based on that, they had new ideas. Congrats. As a straight supporter of the community I am deeply disappointed that this is happening in Hungary. Shame on us!!

What we reacted:

As the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and straight organizers of the Budapest Pride Film and Cultural Festival,

• We are OUTRAGED by Jobbik’s fascistic viewpoint, which Ádám Mirkóczki represents;

• We REFUSE to allow these attempts to restrict our fundamental freedoms and make our everyday lives and basic self-expression impossible;

• We CALL ON on the Hungarian government, the Hungarian prime minister, the parties in Parliament, the minister of Parliament, and the president of the republic to reject the viewpoint represented in the proposed amendment, and to make it clear that there is absolutely no room for such an amendment in Hungary in 2012;

• We DEMAND that the soon-to-be-created committee on ethics that would punish representatives for expressions of racism, antisemitism, xenophobia, and Islamophobia stand up against homophobia and transphobia as well!

SILENCE IS COMPLICITY. We ask everyone who rejects Jobbik’s proposed amendment to speak out in protest.

We welcome all lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and straight supporters to this year’s Budapest Pride march on July 7!