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!

Police refuse to grant permission for this year's Budapest Pride march

Let's see what happened so far... As you may know, I'm one of the organizers of the Budapest Pride -- so the following press release (link here) was partly written by me and translated by another organizer. 

As an answer to the police's step we've made a video asking if they really think we are going to disappear. They can't ban us and we will be at the Budapest Pride!! Enjoy the background music: Blur :) 

The Budapest Police Department has refused to grant permission for this year's Budapest Pride march. The march had been announced for July 7, 2012, with a route from City Park to Alkotmány Street along Andrássy Avenue, by the festival’s organizers, the Rainbow Mission Foundation. This is not the first time the police have tried to prevent the march, and this year they again justified their decision to restrict our freedom of assembly with the claim that it is impossible to redirect traffic to another route. With the help of the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (TASZ), we are filing a petition for review of the ban. We look forward to the Budapest Metropolitan Court repealing the police’s decision, which is expected to be announced in the next few weeks.

The march is a part of the Budapest Pride Film and Cultural Festival, whose goal is to raise awareness about the discrimination and legal inequality faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people. The festival aims to build and strengthen the Hungarian LGBTQ community, address and involve heterosexual allies, and stand up against stereotypical and homophobic portrayals of our community.

Banning the march is one of the means used to silence the LGBTQ community. The last two years have seen democracy, human rights, and the rule of law threatened in Hungary, and through its actions, the government has infringed upon the rights of many groups. The Basic Law, passed in April 2011 and in effect since the beginning of this year, the “family protection” law voted on last December, and the Hungarian Society for the Science of the Family founded in February all severely violate the rights of LGBTQ people. Banning the Pride march would only exacerbate the social marginalization of this community.

One of the themes we are highlighting in this year’s festival (June 30 - July 8)  is the diversity of the LGBTQ community in Hungary. Given that the community is often invisible, our diversity of identities and experiences often goes unrecognized even within the community. For example, bisexual, queer, and trans people frequently find themselves marginalized and their voices unheard. LGBTQ people who are members of other marginalized groups as well (disabled people, national, ethnic, and religious minorities, etc.) are hardly ever allowed the opportunity to express their full identities. Mainstream society’s view of the LGBTQ community is restricted to a very narrow segment of the group, primarily gay men and lesbian women, and this picture is often based on explicitly homophobic and transphobic stereotypes.

Introducing Budapest Pride

So, today is the day of the CEU NGO fair. I've just read back the post that I published some days ago and realized that I have not written anything about Budapest Pride. 

I joined the organizer team last autumn, especially those coordinating the press. Later, when it turned out that I'm originally an art manager (or something like that), they convinced me to help the culture group arranging the events. I said ok, I welcomed this job because the Pride is an example how a cultural festival can highlight the importance of "colorfulness". The fight against homophobia and discrimination takes shape in a week-long cultural event with film screenings, exhibition, theater plays and of course the pride march. Its political message is inevitable -- due to the quite worrisome situation in the country -- but I think we should rather focus on the cultural values of such. It is more important to show that the festival is not only about saying "fuck off, I'm gay, get used to it", but about how diverse the lgbtq community is. 

I do enjoy working with them though it is not at all easy. I've already started contacting with gallery spaces, ruin bars, cafés -- wanted to find out who is open to exhibitions dealing with queer art. Meanwhile, I've also started a consultation with music artists, bands. We will see...