Hungary Gay And LGBTQ Activists Prott Latt Anti-LGBTQ Law Wh 30-Foot Rabow Heart - Towleroad Gay News

Contents:

• JOZSEF SZAJER: HUNGARY MEP QUS AFTER ALLEGEDLY FLEEG GAY Y
• GAY US AMBASSADOR TO HUNGARY MARCH BUDAPT PRI MARCH
• GAYS HUNGARY FACG CREASED ERNMENT HOSTILY, RIGHTS GROUP SAYS
• HUNGARY GAY AND LGBTQ ACTIVISTS PROTT LATT ANTI-LGBTQ LAW WH 30-FOOT RABOW HEART
• MEET POLAND’S OUT GAY LAWMAKER FIGHTG FOR LGBTQ RIGHTS
• 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 / PUBLISHED JUL. 14, 2023 10:55PM 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

JOZSEF SZAJER: HUNGARY MEP QUS AFTER ALLEGEDLY FLEEG GAY Y

Image source, RtersImage ptn, Activists displayed a huge rabow balloon ont of Hungary's parliament to prott agast the lawThe European Parliament has voted favour of urgent legal actn over Hungary's new law banng the pictn of homosexualy to new legislatn breached "EU valu, prcipl and law", MEPs parliament add that the law was "another tentnal and premedated example of the gradual dismantlg of fundamental rights Hungary" Mister Viktor Orban sists school policy is a matter for Hungary, not "Bssels burecrats" a rolutn passed on Thursday wh 459 favour, 147 agast and 58 abstentns, MEPs said the latt velopments Hungary followed a broar pattern of polil parliament urged the European Commissn to e a new tool that allows the EU to rce budget allotns to member stat breach of the le of law, to ensure that the Hungarian ernment reverse the cisn.

Crics say Hungary's new law, which me to force on Thursday, equat homosexualy wh paedophilia. The new l troduced by Hungary foc on creasg punishment for nvicted paedophil, but an amendment was passed on 15 June banng the portrayal or promotn of homosexualy among uld affect sex tn and advertisg, and even stop TV favour such as Friends or Harry Potter beg broadst until late at night, there are also fears that vulnerable young people uld be prived of important support.

Hungary also do not regnise gay Orban has been wily cricised the EU, acced of curbg the rights of migrants and other mori, policisg the urts and media, and toleratg anti-Semism. Lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr (LGBT) rights and the groups who work to protect them are unr h prsure Hungary. The book was the target of homophobic phback, cludg om policians who lled “homosexual propaganda” and om nservativ who sought to have banned om bookstor.

GAY US AMBASSADOR TO HUNGARY MARCH BUDAPT PRI MARCH

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. WorldLawmakers Hungary approved legislatn Tuday that prohibs sharg wh mors any ntent portrayg homosexualy or sex reassignment, which human rights groups nounced as anti-LGBT discrimatn. Legislatn reprents 'severe state discrimatn, ' German official saysDemonstrators Budapt prott Monday agast Hungarian Prime Mister Viktor Orban and the latt legislatn, which prohibs sharg wh mors any ntent portrayg homosexualy or sex reassignment and is beg cricized as discrimatory agast LGBT people.

(Marton Mon/Rters)Lawmakers Hungary approved legislatn Tuday that prohibs sharg wh mors any ntent portrayg homosexualy or sex reassignment, which human rights groups nounced as anti-LGBT, the nservative lg party of Hungarian Prime Mister Viktor Orban, troduced the legislatn, which is the latt effort to curtail the rights of LGBT people the European Unn natn loted central Europe. FILE - People march durg a gay pri para Budapt, Hungary, Saturday, July 24, 2021. The EU had already tried for a year to make Hungary change a law that bans ntent portrayg or promotg homosexualy.

GAYS HUNGARY FACG CREASED ERNMENT HOSTILY, RIGHTS GROUP SAYS

Hungary’s right-wg erng party last year banned the pictn of homosexualy or sex reassignment media targetg mors unr 18.

Informatn on homosexualy was also forbidn school sex tn programs, or films and advertisements accsible to mors.

HUNGARY GAY AND LGBTQ ACTIVISTS PROTT LATT ANTI-LGBTQ LAW WH 30-FOOT RABOW HEART

Budapt Mayor Gergely Karácsony and openly gay U.

“On the ocsn of the 28th Budapt Pri Ftival, we the unrsigned embassi and cultural stut exprs our full support for members of the lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr, queer and tersex (LGBTQI+) muny Hungary and their rights to equaly and non-discrimatn, eedom of exprsn and peaceful assembly and eedom om vlence, ” reads the statement. The Lira Kiskerkelmi Kft bookstore cha is the latt bookstore to e unr fire om the ernment for breakg a law passed 2021 that forbids the advertisement or distributn of materials that "promote or display homosexualy.

MEET POLAND’S OUT GAY LAWMAKER FIGHTG FOR LGBTQ RIGHTS

"The office of the Budapt regnal ernment stated a prs release that “the vtigatn tablished that the books qutn pict homosexualy, yet they were displayed among books for children, classified as youth lerature, and they were not distributed sealed packagg.

The “child protectn law”, which was passed by a sweepg 157 vot to one, has garnered fierce cricism om wh Hungary and the European law broadly bans ntent which “promot or portrays a divergence om self-inty rrpondg to sex at birth, sex change or homosexualy” to April, the Hungarian parliament approved a law that would make possible for people to report fai that go agast “nstutnally regnized role of marriage and the fay. In another blow to lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr (LGBT) rights Hungary, on July 13, the Hungarian ernment proposed a bill that exclus transgenr women om a women-only pensn scheme. The puty Fisz factn lear publicly cricized the judge while pro-ernment media regurgated trans- and homophobic msagg.

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 / PUBLISHED JUL. 14, 2023 10:55PM 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

Instead of discrimatg and fuelg tolerance, parliament should redouble efforts to protect the basic human rights of everyone Hungary, cludg people who are lbian, gay, bisexual, or transgenr.

BUDAPEST — Hungary’s gay muny is facg creased ernment “attacks” and fears that s hard-won rights, and an improvement public acceptance of them, may be at risk, a rights group European Unn has long cricized Prime Mister Viktor Orban’s right-wg ernment over s rerd on the le of law and civil liberti, cludg s attu toward mori, cludg LGBTQ Hatter (“Background”) group said var legislative mov, a lack of police vigilance and sometim hostile rhetoric om the lg Fisz party threatened to undo the progrs seen sce the fall of munism three s ago. “By the end of 2019, our worst fears had bee realy when Hungarian state actors led by the erng parti started creasgly ncentrated attacks agast the LGBTQI muny, ” acronym not lbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenr, qutng (or queer) and tersex.

”Hatter ced several recent homophobic attacks which said the police had failed to vtigate wh proper about the plats, a ernment spokman said the nstutn and other laws guaranteed the same eedoms for all Hungarian cizens.