U.S. Diplomat David Prsman Sticks It to Anti-Gay Prime Mister—Wh a Huge Pri Party

Contents:

• HOW HATRED OF GAY PEOPLE BEME A KEY PLANK HUNGARY’S THORARIAN TURN
• JOZSEF SZAJER: HUNGARY MEP QUS AFTER ALLEGEDLY FLEEG GAY Y
• GAY DICTNARY HUNGARIAN
• HUNGARY'S ANTI-GAY LAW THREATENS PROGRAMMG OF TV FAVOUR
• HUNGARY PASS LAWS CURTAILG GAY RIGHTS AND EXPANDG EXECUTIVE POWER
• U.S. DIPLOMAT STICKS IT TO ANTI-GAY PRIME MISTER—WH A HUGE PRI PARTYPRIDE AND PREJUDICEMEMBERS OF VIKTOR ORBáN’S ERNMENT—WHICH HAS ADOPTED ANTI-LGBT POLICI—ARE WELE TO JO.DAN LADN-HALLNEWS CORRPONNTUPDATED JUL. 15, 2023 4:31AM EDT EXCLIVEPHOTO ILLTRATN BY KELLY CAMERO / THE DAILY BEAST / GETTYDAVID PRSMAN, THE U.S. AMBASSADOR TO HUNGARY, HAS NOT SHIED AWAY OM LLG OUT THE ANTI-LGBT RHETORIC AND POLICI OF HUNGARIAN PRIME MISTER VIKTOR ORBáN AND HIS ERNMENT. SCE HIS ARRIVAL BUDAPT LAST YEAR, THE GAY HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYER HAS BEEN RELENTLSLY CRICIZED BY THE UNTRY’S STATE-NTROLLED MEDIA FOR WHAT THEY PERCEIVE AS HIS PROVOTIVE PROPAGANDIZG OF PROGRSIVE WTERN VALU TO A PEOPLE WHO DO NOT SHARE THEM.HIS WEEKEND PLANS SEEM LIKELY TO SPARK ANOTHER ROUND OF VECTIVE. ON SUNDAY, HE WILL MARK THE END OF BUDAPT PRI MONTH BY HOSTG A PIIC AT HIS OFFICIAL RINCE FOR HUNGARIAN LGBTQI+ FAI—A CELEBRATN OF A MUNY WHO, UNR ORBáN, ARE BEG MA TO FEEL CREASGLY UNWELE THEIR HOMELAND.“CANDIDLY, WE’VE BEEN PRETTY OVERWHELMED BY THE TERT PARTICIPATN OM HUNGARIAN LGBT FAI AND THEIR ALLI—AND I EXPECT ABOUT 1,000 PEOPLE THERE, MAKG WHAT WE’RE TOLD WILL BE THE LARGT EVENT OF S KD HISTORY HUNGARY,” PRSMAN TOLD THE DAILY BEAST. “AND I THK NOW’S A REALLY IMPORTANT MOMENT FOR THE UNED STAT AND THE TERNATNAL MUNY WR LARGE TO STAND WH THIS MUNY THAT IS CREASGLY BEG ED A DIVISIVE AND POLIL WAY THAT IS TENSN WH THE MMENTS THIS ERNMENT HAS MA TO UPHOLDG TERNATNAL HUMAN RIGHTS.”HIS MENTS ON FRIDAY ME HOURS AFTER DOZENS OF EMBASSI HUNGARY RELEASED A JOT STATEMENT EXPRSG SUPPORT FOR THE LGBTQI+ MUNY THE UNTRY “AND THEIR RIGHTS TO EQUALY AND NON-DISCRIMATN, EEDOM OF EXPRSN AND PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY, AND EEDOM OM VLENCE.” THE LL FOR SUPPORT IS TIMELY. THIS WEEK, HUNGARY’S LARGT BOOKSELLER, LIBRI, BEGAN WRAPPG BOOKS PLASTIC IF THE WORK CLUS LGBT CHARACTERS TO STOP BROWSG SHOPPERS OPENG THEM STOR. THE RETAIL CHA SAID WAS DOG SO PLIANCE WH A 2021 SO-LLED “CHILD PROTECTN” LAW WHICH BANNED THE “DISPLAY AND PROMOTN OF HOMOSEXUALY” TO CHILDREN UNR THE AGE OF 18. ANOTHER BOOKSELLER WAS FED ON THURSDAY FOR SELLG A GRAPHIC NOVEL ABOUT A LOVE STORY BETWEEN TWO TEENAGE BOYS BEE WAS FOR SALE THE CHILDREN’S SECTN. HUNGARIAN PRIME MISTER VIKTOR ORBAN SPEAKS DURG HIS TRADNAL NEW YEAR PRS NFERENCE AT HIS NEW OFFICE, BUDA CASTLE'S CARMELA MONASTERY, ON JAN. 9, 2020, BUDAPT. ATTILA KISBENEK/GETTY “WE’RE AT A MOMENT WHERE WE’RE SEEG EVENTS UNFOLD CLUDG BOOKSTOR BEG FED FOR DISPLAYG BOOKS, WE’RE SEEG BOOKS BEG WRAPPED CELLOPHANE TO TRY TO SOMEHOW SIGNIFY THAT THE NTENT OF THOSE BOOKS IS SOMETHG THAT NEEDS TO BE SEGREGATED,” PRSMAN SAID. “WE’RE SEEG REAL ATTACKS ON THE DIGNY OF THIS MUNY, AND SO WE THOUGHT WAS IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO BRG TOGETHER LGBT FAI FOR A CELEBRATN.”EXACTLY HOW THE PIIC WILL BE RECEIVED BY HIS HUNGARIAN HOSTS IS ANOTHER MATTER. AFTER HIS SPEECH LAST MONTH AT THE BUDAPT PRI OPENG EVENT, ONE PRO-ERNMENT OUTLET ACCED PRSMAN OF “TRYG TO MAKE PEDOPHILIA PC.” BUT PRSMAN SAYS THE ATTACKS—MONLY THE FORM OF ACCATNS OF “WOKEISM”—E REGARDLS OF WHAT HE SPEAKS ABOUT. “THE RPONSE IS OFTEN THE ERNMENT SAYG: ‘YOU’RE SPEAKG ABOUT LGBT ISSU,’ OR, ‘YOU’RE PHG A WOKE AGENDA,’” HE SAYS. “AND THAT ULDN’T BE FURTHER OM THE TTH.” “UNFORTUNATELY, I DON’T EXPECT THEM TO PARTICIPATE.” BEFORE BEG SWORN TO HIS CURRENT ROLE AUGT, PRSMAN PREVLY SERVED AS THE U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE UNED NATNS FOR SPECIAL POLIL AFFAIRS AND AS AN ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURY. HE’S ALSO WORKED WH ACTOR GEE CLOONEY—WHO LLS HIM “CUZ”—AS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE CLOONEY FOUNDATN FOR JTICE.THE HOSTILY TOWARD HIM HUNGARY BEGAN BEFORE HE EVEN ARRIVED THE UNTRY. LAST JULY, A BOAT SAILED DOWN THE RIVER DANUBE BUDAPT CLOSE TO THE SE OF THE U.S. EMBASSY RRYG A SKULL AND CROSSBON BANNER MARKED WH THE WORDS “MR. PRSMAN, DON’T LONIZE HUNGARY WH YOUR CULT OF ATH.” (HE NOW DISPLAYS A PHOTO OF THE PIRATIL WELE HIS OFFICE.)DPE THE PERSONAL ATTACKS, HE’S NOT TAKG CRICISMS OF HIS ACTNS PERSONALLY. “THIS IS REALLY NOT ABOUT ME, AND ’S NEVER BEEN ABOUT ME,” HE SAID. “IT’S ABOUT THE UNED STAT’ LONGSTANDG MMENT AND PRINT BIN’S PERSONAL MMENT TO STAND UP PROUDLY AND STRONGLY FOR THE FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS OF ALL PEOPLE EVERYWHERE, CLUDG LGBT PEOPLE—CLUDG LGBT PEOPLE HUNGARY.”HE NEVERTHELS NCES THAT THERE ARE “CHALLENG OUR RELATNSHIP WH HUNGARY” AND THAT THOSE CHALLENG MANIFT “ WAYS THAT ARE AT TIM TENSE AND UNIQUE—CERTALY UNIQUE AMONGST ALLI.” DAVID PRSMAN, US AMBASSADOR TO HUNGARY, ADDRS A PRS NFERENCE AT THE EMBASSY BUILDG BUDAPT, HUNGARY ON APRIL 12, 2023.ATTILA KISBENEK/GETTY LIKEWISE, PRSMAN HAS AT TIM TAKEN UNIQUE STEPS RPONSE TO CERTA ISSU. OF PARTICULARLY PRSG NCERN IS ORBáN’S HAB OF PHG KREML NARRATIV—MUCH TO THE NSTERNATN OF OTHER NATO MEMBERS—AND HIS PERSONAL FONDNS FOR RSIAN PRINT VLADIMIR PUT. ON PRSMAN’S WATCH, HIS EMBASSY OCTOBER RELEASED A TWTER QUIZ ASKG PEOPLE TO GUS IF A SERI OF ANTI-AMERIN QUOT—CLUDG A LL FOR WAR WH THE U.S.—ME OM PUT OR HUNGARIAN ERNMENT FIGUR. (SPOILER: THEY WERE ALL OM HUNGARIANS.) AND LAST MONTH, PRSMAN QUOTETWEETED A POST OM ORBáN REFERRG TO GEE SOROS’ SON AS “SOROS 2.0.” “THE DOG-WHISTLE NSPIRACY THEORI ARE LIKE THE PLOT OF GODFATHER 3: PREDICTABLE & TROUBLG,” PRSMAN WROTE.RSIA’S WAR UKRAE IS A PARTICULARLY ACUTE STRA ON DIPLOMATIC RELATNS BETWEEN THE U.S. AND HUNGARY. IN NTRAST WH OTHER NATO LEARS, ORBáN HATED NMNG PUT’S WAR AND HAS OPPOSED EU PLANS TO SEND MORE FANCIAL AID TO KYIV. ON FRIDAY, AFTER RETURNG OM A NATO SUMM LHUANIA, THE PRIME MISTER EVEN CLAIMED “THE WT WANTS WAR” AND BLAMED THE ONGOG BLOODSHED UKRAE ON THE U.S. “IF THE AMERINS WANTED PEACE,” ORBáN SAID A RAD TERVIEW, “THERE WOULD BE PEACE TOMORROW MORNG.”CROSSROADS“I THK THAT WE HAVE BEEN VERY CLEAR THAT THE UNED STAT WANTS PEACE, WE WANT THIS WAR TO END,” PRSMAN SAID. “THE PERSON WHO N END THIS WAR—TODAY—IS VLADIMIR PUT. AND ’S UNFORTUNATE WHEN WE SEE POLIL ACTORS CLUDG, THIS SE, THE PRIME MISTER, SUGGTG THAT ’S THE UNED STAT THAT IS SOMEHOW DRIVG THIS WAR. THAT ULD NOT BE FURTHER OM THE TTH.”“WE’RE A MOMENT WHERE THE STAK ARE EXTREMELY HIGH,” PRSMAN NTUED. “THERE’S A LAND WAR EUROPE. THERE’S A WAR NEXT DOOR THIS UNTRY AND FACTS MATTER. AND THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT VLADIMIR PUT STOPPED FIGHTG, THE WAR WOULD END TODAY, AND IF THE UKRAIANS STOPPED FIGHTG, UKRAE WOULD END.”THE AMBASSADOR ADD THAT “THE WORLD CHANGED” WH THE BEGNG OF THE VASN LAST YEAR. “HUNGARY I THK HAS HISTORILLY FELT FORTABLE OCCUPYG A MIDDLE ROAD BETWEEN EAST AND WT, THERE ARE REAL CHOIC TO BE MA,” PRSMAN SAID. “AND THE UNED STAT IS PAYG CLOSE ATTENTN TO THE CHOIC HUNGARY IS MAKG, AND I THK ’S TE—’S UNNIABLE—THAT HUNGARY IS MAKG CHOIC THAT ARE DIFFERENT THAN OUR OTHER ALLI AND PARTNERS THE REGN, AND THAT’S THE SUBJECT OF TENSIVE ENGAGEMENT BY THE UNED STAT AND AN AREA WHERE I AM FOCED.”ANY PRENT TENSNS BETWEEN WASHGTON, D.C. AND BUDAPT NOTWHSTANDG, PRSMAN REMAS OPTIMISTIC THAT “THE HUNGARIAN PEOPLE SEE THEIR FUTURE WH THE WT.” THIS WEEKEND, AT THE PIIC, HE HOP THAT THE HUNGARIAN ERNMENT SE THE “BETIFUL DIVERSE ARRAY” OF S OWN PEOPLE TOO. FAI, HE ADDS, “WHO ARE LIVG HAPPY AND FULFILLG LIV, WHO ARE ADVANCG THE VERY HUNGARIAN VALU THAT THIS ERNMENT STANDS FOR.”THE AMBASSADOR SAYS VATNS FOR THE LGBTQI+ EVENT HAVE BEEN ISSUED TO SENR OFFICIALS ORBáN’S ERNMENT. WHETHER THEY SHOW UP OR NOT IS A SEPARATE QUTN. “UNFORTUNATELY, I DON’T EXPECT THEM TO PARTICIPATE,” PRSMAN SAID. “BUT THEY SHOULD CERTALY KNOW THEY ARE WELE.” DAN LADN-HALL

HOW HATRED OF GAY PEOPLE BEME A KEY PLANK HUNGARY’S THORARIAN TURN

Hungary’s parliament has passed a law banng gay people om featurg school tnal materials or TV shows for unr-18s, as Viktor Orbán’s lg party tensified s mpaign agast LGBT natnal assembly passed the legislatn by 157 vot to one, after MPs the lg Fisz party ignored a last-mute plea by one of Europe’s leadg human rights officials to abandon the plan as “an afont agast the rights and inti of LGBTI persons”. Dpe a boytt of the vote by some opposn policians, the oute was never doubt, as Fisz has a healthy majory and the plans were supported by the far-right Jobbik measur have been likened by crics to Rsia’s 2013 law agast “gay propaganda” that pennt monors say has creased social hostily and fuelled vigilante attacks agast lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr people the EU untry’s eastern Hungarian legislatn outlaws sharg rmatn wh unr-18s that the ernment nsirs to be promotg homosexualy or genr change.

JOZSEF SZAJER: HUNGARY MEP QUS AFTER ALLEGEDLY FLEEG GAY Y

Compani and large anisatns will also be banned om nng adverts solidary wh gay people, if they are emed to target unr-18s. In 2019, a Co-Cola ad mpaign featurg sg gay upl and anti-discrimatn slogans prompted some proment Fisz members to ll for a boytt of the pany’s law means that TV shows and films featurg gay characters, or even a rabow flag, would be permted only after the watershed, say mpaigners who have studied the legislatn. The ia that beg gay pos a risk self to people unr 18 is such a horrible vic ncept … It will have tragic effects on the mental wellbeg of young LGBT people.

”Misters om the EU’s 26 other untri have been urged to raise the law wh their Hungarian unterpart at a meetg Luxembourg next week, which is due to turn the spotlight on the le of law latt measur follow the cisn to effectively ban adoptn by gay upl and end legal regnn for genr chang, cludg people who have already ma the Viktor Orbán’s ernment has targeted migrants s polil msagg, gay rights have e unr creasg prsure ahead of parliamentary electns 2022. "The clear effect of [Hungarian Prime Mister] Viktor Orban's very, very homophobic and tocratic polics is that, year by year, we fd harr and harr to fd venu, " Radvanyi laments.

" In the two-year hiat sce the Hungarian pal's last Pri march, the ernment has outlawed genr transn and gay adoptn. The ban is part of a wir law to prevent child abe, but Radvanyi says the ernment is tentnally nflatg homosexualy wh pedophilia to stigmatize LGBTQ muni.

GAY DICTNARY HUNGARIAN

Orban's spokperson Zoltan Kovacs told NPR a statement that this law bans both homosexual and heterosexual propaganda targeted at children. " Sari Szanto, an art teacher Budapt, agre and says she's seen the damage homophobic legislatn n do to teenagers.

Szanto spent the last teachg Rsia, which passed what's been lled a "gay propaganda" law 2013.

HUNGARY'S ANTI-GAY LAW THREATENS PROGRAMMG OF TV FAVOUR

"The fact that homosexualy or trans issu are a taboo mak the kids much more vulnerable and vlence agast them will be very hard to addrs for what is, " Szanto says. An article the Hungarian Conservative, a magaze supportive of the Orbán regime, ni that Friends specifilly would be blocked by the new l — but touts the bill’s efforts to “protect children’s natural and healthy sexual velopment” om the allegedly nefar fluence of gay propaganda.

HUNGARY PASS LAWS CURTAILG GAY RIGHTS AND EXPANDG EXECUTIVE POWER

“In a moral sense, there is no difference between pedophil and those who mand [gay adoptn], ” László Kövér, the speaker of Hungary’s parliament, said 2019.

Comg off Hungary’s poor handlg of Covid-19 and a sndal surroundg a leadg Fisz figure’s vis to a gay sex party, a play to rev up Fisz’s socially nservative base by prentg them wh yet another enemy to hate is unsurprisg. Image source, AFPImage ptn, Jozsef Szajer is a senr member of Hungary's lg Fisz partyAn MEP om Hungary's lg party, which is hostile to LGBT rights, has qu after he was ught attendg what Belgian media scribe as a gay sex party Bssels on Szajer, a top member of Prime Mister Viktor Orban's Fisz party, was stopped by police after reports of a hoe party vlatg lockdown l.

"Belgium's De Standaard daily says the ual fe for breakg the Covid l on assembly is €250 (£224) Szajer's rignatn, followed by his nfsn that he took part what media have scribed as a "gay y", is a ser blow for Fisz, which has erned Hungary for the past . The sex sndal is particularly embarrassg for a party which mpaigns for tradnal fay valu and recently proposed a law to ban gay adoptn.

U.S. DIPLOMAT STICKS IT TO ANTI-GAY PRIME MISTER—WH A HUGE PRI PARTYPRIDE AND PREJUDICEMEMBERS OF VIKTOR ORBáN’S ERNMENT—WHICH HAS ADOPTED ANTI-LGBT POLICI—ARE WELE TO JO.DAN LADN-HALLNEWS CORRPONNTUPDATED JUL. 15, 2023 4:31AM EDT EXCLIVEPHOTO ILLTRATN BY KELLY CAMERO / THE DAILY BEAST / GETTYDAVID PRSMAN, THE U.S. AMBASSADOR TO HUNGARY, HAS NOT SHIED AWAY OM LLG OUT THE ANTI-LGBT RHETORIC AND POLICI OF HUNGARIAN PRIME MISTER VIKTOR ORBáN AND HIS ERNMENT. SCE HIS ARRIVAL BUDAPT LAST YEAR, THE GAY HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYER HAS BEEN RELENTLSLY CRICIZED BY THE UNTRY’S STATE-NTROLLED MEDIA FOR WHAT THEY PERCEIVE AS HIS PROVOTIVE PROPAGANDIZG OF PROGRSIVE WTERN VALU TO A PEOPLE WHO DO NOT SHARE THEM.HIS WEEKEND PLANS SEEM LIKELY TO SPARK ANOTHER ROUND OF VECTIVE. ON SUNDAY, HE WILL MARK THE END OF BUDAPT PRI MONTH BY HOSTG A PIIC AT HIS OFFICIAL RINCE FOR HUNGARIAN LGBTQI+ FAI—A CELEBRATN OF A MUNY WHO, UNR ORBáN, ARE BEG MA TO FEEL CREASGLY UNWELE THEIR HOMELAND.“CANDIDLY, WE’VE BEEN PRETTY OVERWHELMED BY THE TERT PARTICIPATN OM HUNGARIAN LGBT FAI AND THEIR ALLI—AND I EXPECT ABOUT 1,000 PEOPLE THERE, MAKG WHAT WE’RE TOLD WILL BE THE LARGT EVENT OF S KD HISTORY HUNGARY,” PRSMAN TOLD THE DAILY BEAST. “AND I THK NOW’S A REALLY IMPORTANT MOMENT FOR THE UNED STAT AND THE TERNATNAL MUNY WR LARGE TO STAND WH THIS MUNY THAT IS CREASGLY BEG ED A DIVISIVE AND POLIL WAY THAT IS TENSN WH THE MMENTS THIS ERNMENT HAS MA TO UPHOLDG TERNATNAL HUMAN RIGHTS.”HIS MENTS ON FRIDAY ME HOURS AFTER DOZENS OF EMBASSI HUNGARY RELEASED A JOT STATEMENT EXPRSG SUPPORT FOR THE LGBTQI+ MUNY THE UNTRY “AND THEIR RIGHTS TO EQUALY AND NON-DISCRIMATN, EEDOM OF EXPRSN AND PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY, AND EEDOM OM VLENCE.” THE LL FOR SUPPORT IS TIMELY. THIS WEEK, HUNGARY’S LARGT BOOKSELLER, LIBRI, BEGAN WRAPPG BOOKS PLASTIC IF THE WORK CLUS LGBT CHARACTERS TO STOP BROWSG SHOPPERS OPENG THEM STOR. THE RETAIL CHA SAID WAS DOG SO PLIANCE WH A 2021 SO-LLED “CHILD PROTECTN” LAW WHICH BANNED THE “DISPLAY AND PROMOTN OF HOMOSEXUALY” TO CHILDREN UNR THE AGE OF 18. ANOTHER BOOKSELLER WAS FED ON THURSDAY FOR SELLG A GRAPHIC NOVEL ABOUT A LOVE STORY BETWEEN TWO TEENAGE BOYS BEE WAS FOR SALE THE CHILDREN’S SECTN. HUNGARIAN PRIME MISTER VIKTOR ORBAN SPEAKS DURG HIS TRADNAL NEW YEAR PRS NFERENCE AT HIS NEW OFFICE, BUDA CASTLE'S CARMELA MONASTERY, ON JAN. 9, 2020, BUDAPT. ATTILA KISBENEK/GETTY “WE’RE AT A MOMENT WHERE WE’RE SEEG EVENTS UNFOLD CLUDG BOOKSTOR BEG FED FOR DISPLAYG BOOKS, WE’RE SEEG BOOKS BEG WRAPPED CELLOPHANE TO TRY TO SOMEHOW SIGNIFY THAT THE NTENT OF THOSE BOOKS IS SOMETHG THAT NEEDS TO BE SEGREGATED,” PRSMAN SAID. “WE’RE SEEG REAL ATTACKS ON THE DIGNY OF THIS MUNY, AND SO WE THOUGHT WAS IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO BRG TOGETHER LGBT FAI FOR A CELEBRATN.”EXACTLY HOW THE PIIC WILL BE RECEIVED BY HIS HUNGARIAN HOSTS IS ANOTHER MATTER. AFTER HIS SPEECH LAST MONTH AT THE BUDAPT PRI OPENG EVENT, ONE PRO-ERNMENT OUTLET ACCED PRSMAN OF “TRYG TO MAKE PEDOPHILIA PC.” BUT PRSMAN SAYS THE ATTACKS—MONLY THE FORM OF ACCATNS OF “WOKEISM”—E REGARDLS OF WHAT HE SPEAKS ABOUT. “THE RPONSE IS OFTEN THE ERNMENT SAYG: ‘YOU’RE SPEAKG ABOUT LGBT ISSU,’ OR, ‘YOU’RE PHG A WOKE AGENDA,’” HE SAYS. “AND THAT ULDN’T BE FURTHER OM THE TTH.” “UNFORTUNATELY, I DON’T EXPECT THEM TO PARTICIPATE.” BEFORE BEG SWORN TO HIS CURRENT ROLE AUGT, PRSMAN PREVLY SERVED AS THE U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE UNED NATNS FOR SPECIAL POLIL AFFAIRS AND AS AN ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURY. HE’S ALSO WORKED WH ACTOR GEE CLOONEY—WHO LLS HIM “CUZ”—AS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE CLOONEY FOUNDATN FOR JTICE.THE HOSTILY TOWARD HIM HUNGARY BEGAN BEFORE HE EVEN ARRIVED THE UNTRY. LAST JULY, A BOAT SAILED DOWN THE RIVER DANUBE BUDAPT CLOSE TO THE SE OF THE U.S. EMBASSY RRYG A SKULL AND CROSSBON BANNER MARKED WH THE WORDS “MR. PRSMAN, DON’T LONIZE HUNGARY WH YOUR CULT OF ATH.” (HE NOW DISPLAYS A PHOTO OF THE PIRATIL WELE HIS OFFICE.)DPE THE PERSONAL ATTACKS, HE’S NOT TAKG CRICISMS OF HIS ACTNS PERSONALLY. “THIS IS REALLY NOT ABOUT ME, AND ’S NEVER BEEN ABOUT ME,” HE SAID. “IT’S ABOUT THE UNED STAT’ LONGSTANDG MMENT AND PRINT BIN’S PERSONAL MMENT TO STAND UP PROUDLY AND STRONGLY FOR THE FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS OF ALL PEOPLE EVERYWHERE, CLUDG LGBT PEOPLE—CLUDG LGBT PEOPLE HUNGARY.”HE NEVERTHELS NCES THAT THERE ARE “CHALLENG OUR RELATNSHIP WH HUNGARY” AND THAT THOSE CHALLENG MANIFT “ WAYS THAT ARE AT TIM TENSE AND UNIQUE—CERTALY UNIQUE AMONGST ALLI.” DAVID PRSMAN, US AMBASSADOR TO HUNGARY, ADDRS A PRS NFERENCE AT THE EMBASSY BUILDG BUDAPT, HUNGARY ON APRIL 12, 2023.ATTILA KISBENEK/GETTY LIKEWISE, PRSMAN HAS AT TIM TAKEN UNIQUE STEPS RPONSE TO CERTA ISSU. OF PARTICULARLY PRSG NCERN IS ORBáN’S HAB OF PHG KREML NARRATIV—MUCH TO THE NSTERNATN OF OTHER NATO MEMBERS—AND HIS PERSONAL FONDNS FOR RSIAN PRINT VLADIMIR PUT. ON PRSMAN’S WATCH, HIS EMBASSY OCTOBER RELEASED A TWTER QUIZ ASKG PEOPLE TO GUS IF A SERI OF ANTI-AMERIN QUOT—CLUDG A LL FOR WAR WH THE U.S.—ME OM PUT OR HUNGARIAN ERNMENT FIGUR. (SPOILER: THEY WERE ALL OM HUNGARIANS.) AND LAST MONTH, PRSMAN QUOTETWEETED A POST OM ORBáN REFERRG TO GEE SOROS’ SON AS “SOROS 2.0.” “THE DOG-WHISTLE NSPIRACY THEORI ARE LIKE THE PLOT OF GODFATHER 3: PREDICTABLE & TROUBLG,” PRSMAN WROTE.RSIA’S WAR UKRAE IS A PARTICULARLY ACUTE STRA ON DIPLOMATIC RELATNS BETWEEN THE U.S. AND HUNGARY. IN NTRAST WH OTHER NATO LEARS, ORBáN HATED NMNG PUT’S WAR AND HAS OPPOSED EU PLANS TO SEND MORE FANCIAL AID TO KYIV. ON FRIDAY, AFTER RETURNG OM A NATO SUMM LHUANIA, THE PRIME MISTER EVEN CLAIMED “THE WT WANTS WAR” AND BLAMED THE ONGOG BLOODSHED UKRAE ON THE U.S. “IF THE AMERINS WANTED PEACE,” ORBáN SAID A RAD TERVIEW, “THERE WOULD BE PEACE TOMORROW MORNG.”CROSSROADS“I THK THAT WE HAVE BEEN VERY CLEAR THAT THE UNED STAT WANTS PEACE, WE WANT THIS WAR TO END,” PRSMAN SAID. “THE PERSON WHO N END THIS WAR—TODAY—IS VLADIMIR PUT. AND ’S UNFORTUNATE WHEN WE SEE POLIL ACTORS CLUDG, THIS SE, THE PRIME MISTER, SUGGTG THAT ’S THE UNED STAT THAT IS SOMEHOW DRIVG THIS WAR. THAT ULD NOT BE FURTHER OM THE TTH.”“WE’RE A MOMENT WHERE THE STAK ARE EXTREMELY HIGH,” PRSMAN NTUED. “THERE’S A LAND WAR EUROPE. THERE’S A WAR NEXT DOOR THIS UNTRY AND FACTS MATTER. AND THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT VLADIMIR PUT STOPPED FIGHTG, THE WAR WOULD END TODAY, AND IF THE UKRAIANS STOPPED FIGHTG, UKRAE WOULD END.”THE AMBASSADOR ADD THAT “THE WORLD CHANGED” WH THE BEGNG OF THE VASN LAST YEAR. “HUNGARY I THK HAS HISTORILLY FELT FORTABLE OCCUPYG A MIDDLE ROAD BETWEEN EAST AND WT, THERE ARE REAL CHOIC TO BE MA,” PRSMAN SAID. “AND THE UNED STAT IS PAYG CLOSE ATTENTN TO THE CHOIC HUNGARY IS MAKG, AND I THK ’S TE—’S UNNIABLE—THAT HUNGARY IS MAKG CHOIC THAT ARE DIFFERENT THAN OUR OTHER ALLI AND PARTNERS THE REGN, AND THAT’S THE SUBJECT OF TENSIVE ENGAGEMENT BY THE UNED STAT AND AN AREA WHERE I AM FOCED.”ANY PRENT TENSNS BETWEEN WASHGTON, D.C. AND BUDAPT NOTWHSTANDG, PRSMAN REMAS OPTIMISTIC THAT “THE HUNGARIAN PEOPLE SEE THEIR FUTURE WH THE WT.” THIS WEEKEND, AT THE PIIC, HE HOP THAT THE HUNGARIAN ERNMENT SE THE “BETIFUL DIVERSE ARRAY” OF S OWN PEOPLE TOO. FAI, HE ADDS, “WHO ARE LIVG HAPPY AND FULFILLG LIV, WHO ARE ADVANCG THE VERY HUNGARIAN VALU THAT THIS ERNMENT STANDS FOR.”THE AMBASSADOR SAYS VATNS FOR THE LGBTQI+ EVENT HAVE BEEN ISSUED TO SENR OFFICIALS ORBáN’S ERNMENT. WHETHER THEY SHOW UP OR NOT IS A SEPARATE QUTN. “UNFORTUNATELY, I DON’T EXPECT THEM TO PARTICIPATE,” PRSMAN SAID. “BUT THEY SHOULD CERTALY KNOW THEY ARE WELE.” DAN LADN-HALL

A new law Hungary banng the "promotn" of homosexualy among mors has sparked wispread outcry - domatg Euro 2020 wh a rabow row and overshadowg today's EU summ on Bssels. But s fal draft ntas amendments that crics say nflate paedophilia wh homosexualy. The law bans the "promotn of homosexualy" to unr-18s, and says that only ernment-approved stctors are allowed to teach sex tn schools.