Irish Lawmakers Elect First Openly Gay Prime Mister - WSJ

Contents:

• IRELAND'S FIRST GAY PRIME MISTER LEO VARADKAR FORMALLY ELECTED
• LATVIA BE 7TH NATN TO BE LED BY AN OPENLY GAY HEAD OF STATE
• LEO VARADKAR, GAY SON OF INDIAN IMMIGRANT, TO BE NEXT IRISH PM
• IRELAND’S NEXT PRIME MISTER IS A NSERVATIVE, GAY 38-YEAR-OLD
• LEO VARADKAR BE IRELAND’S FIRST OPENLY GAY MISTER
• IRELAND'S FIRST OPENLY GAY PRIME MISTER FORMALLY TAK OFFICE
• LEO VARADKAR ELECTED AS IRELAND'S FIRST GAY PRIME MISTER
• IRELAND ELECTS FIRST OPENLY GAY PRIME MISTER, LEO VARADKAR
• IRELAND’S GAY FORMER PRIME MISTER RELLS BRGG HIS PARTNER TO FAMO MEETG WH MIKE PENCE
• IRELAND APPEARS SET TO ELECT FIRST OPENLY GAY PRIME MISTER
• IRISH LAWMAKERS ELECT FIRST OPENLY GAY PRIME MISTER
• IRISH PRIME MISTER ATTENDS GAY PRI EVENT NORTHERN IRELAND
• 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

IRELAND'S FIRST GAY PRIME MISTER LEO VARADKAR FORMALLY ELECTED

The son of an Indian immigrant has ma Irish history by beg the untry’s youngt and first openly gay prime Varadkar, 38, was formally elected taoiseach at a nfirmatn ceremony the Dáil Dubl after he won the Fe Gael party learship earlier this month.

Leo Varadkar, (born January 18, 1979, Dubl, Ireland), Irish polician who beme lear of the Fe Gael party and Ireland’s first openly gay taoiseach (prime mister) June 2017.

LATVIA BE 7TH NATN TO BE LED BY AN OPENLY GAY HEAD OF STATE

The tensely private Varadkar ma headl January 2015 when durg an appearance on Irish natnal rad (RTÉ) he announced that he was gay:.

I’m not a half-Indian polician, or a doctor polician or a gay polician for that matter.

LEO VARADKAR, GAY SON OF INDIAN IMMIGRANT, TO BE NEXT IRISH PM

Varadkar explaed to listeners, the procs beg the untry’s first openly gay ernment mister. The announcement me some four months before Irish voters approved legalizatn of same-sex marriage a natnal referendum, but had been only jt over two s sce homosexualy had been crimalized Ireland. When his nomatn was approved the Dáil by a vote of 57 to 50 (wh 45 abstentns) on June 14, Varadkar, at age 38, beme the youngt taoiseach Ireland’s history as well as s first openly gay taoiseach and the first to be a member of an ethnic mory.

IRELAND’S NEXT PRIME MISTER IS A NSERVATIVE, GAY 38-YEAR-OLD

Latvia swore the first openly gay print of a Baltic natn Rkēvičs, who sce 2011 was the untry’s foreign mister, was elected by Parliament May after Print Egils Levs did not seek re-electn.

”Rkēvičs “proudly” announced he is gay on Twter November 2014, though the untry, a former Soviet republic, is not pecially LGBTQ-clive. ” He said he knew there would be “mega hysteria, ” but he end wh the hashtag “#Proudtobegay.

LEO VARADKAR BE IRELAND’S FIRST OPENLY GAY MISTER

”He is one of jt a few openly gay heads of state the world. She is thought to be the first openly gay prime mister the was an active unnist her nearly 10 years workg as a flight attendant, acrdg to the Council of Women World Lears, a work of female heads of state. After the accatn, he said, he was chased down the street by reporters, one of whom yelled, “Yet they say you’re a homosexual!

”Xavier Bettel Prime Mister of Luxembourg (2013-prent)Luxembourg Prime Mister Xavier Bettel at a news nference Belgra, Serbia, on July Vojovic / APBettel was first elected prime mister of Luxembourg 2013, and 2018 he beme the first openly gay prime mister the world to be re-elected for a send marriage beme legal Luxembourg 2015, and the same year Bettel beme the first servg European Unn lear to marry a same-sex partner, the BBC recently cricized a Hungarian law that bans school tnal materials and TV shows for people unr 18 that are emed to promote LGBTQ ntent, Rters reported. “To be natnally blamed, to be nsired as not normal, to be nsired as a danger for young people — ’s not realizg that beg gay is not a choice, ” Bettel said, acrdg to Rters.

IRELAND'S FIRST OPENLY GAY PRIME MISTER FORMALLY TAK OFFICE

Gay, lbian and bisexual people n serve the ary, but transgenr people nnot. “Hopefully this will blow over three or four days, and then I won’t be known as the gay mister, ” she told The Associated Prs at the Varadkar Prime Mister of Ireland (2017-20, 2022-prent)Irish Prime Mister Leo Varadkar Bssels on June 30.

Ludovic Mar / AFP - Getty Imag fileVaradkar beme Ireland’s first openly gay Taoiseach, or prime mister, 2017 and served until 2020.

LEO VARADKAR ELECTED AS IRELAND'S FIRST GAY PRIME MISTER

Leo Varadkar, one of the hight-rankg openly gay elected officials the world, has offered his rignatn as Ireland's prime mister, although he will ntue as a "retaker" until a new ernment is party, Fe Gael, had failed to w a majory parliamentary electns Febary 8, and no other party did eher, leadg to "polil adlock" Ireland, CNN reports.

When he beme prime mister 2017, he was not only the natn's first gay prime mister but s youngt one -- he was then 38 -- and the first one om an ethnic mory group; his father is Indian and his mother is Irish. He and his partner, Matthew Barrett, met wh notor homophobe Mike Pence 2019, and on the same vis he gave a speech at the Naval Observatory praisg diversy. The son of an Indian immigrant who me out as gay 2015 will be the next Irish prime mister, after he was voted lear of the untry’s ma erng Varadkar’s victory the Fe Gael learship ntt on Friday, which took place after outgog PM Enda Kenny announced his rignatn last month, marks another signifint step forward for equaly the untry, after 2015’s gay marriage well as beg Ireland’s first gay prime mister, Varadkar, 38, will also bee the untry’s youngt lear, and the first om an ethnic mory background.

IRELAND ELECTS FIRST OPENLY GAY PRIME MISTER, LEO VARADKAR

Although Varadkar’s centre-right polics are clearly nservative, he portrays the image of a new, progrsive Ireland, symbolised bt May 2015 when the Republic voted overwhelmgly favour of gay marriage.

IRELAND’S GAY FORMER PRIME MISTER RELLS BRGG HIS PARTNER TO FAMO MEETG WH MIKE PENCE

“I thk ’s really signifint that both his party and the media Ireland foced on his polici, rather than him simply beg a gay man who wants to lead the untry, ” said Brian Fnegan, the edor of Gay Communy News Dubl. “It is a sign of how much Ireland has changed and moved on that no one really r if he is gay here. Irish policians were among the last sectors of our society to e out of the closet but now at least we’ve got one gay man and a lbian, Cathere Zappone, both the bet.

I’m not a half-Indian polician, or a doctor polician, or a gay polician, for that matter. Ireland is to get s youngt prime mister, and the first who is openly gay. In 2015, as Mister of Health, Varadkar me out on Irish natnal rad, jog a handful of other openly gay policians Ireland support of the Marriage Equaly Bill, which allows same sex upl to marry.

Ireland’s health mister has bee the first member of a ernment Dubl to clare that he is as a possible future prime mister, Leo Varadkar told Miriam O’Callaghan on RTÉ Rad 1 on Sunday morng: “I am a gay man. ”His claratn was ma jt months before a natnal referendum on givg gay marriag equal stat Irish law. Varadkar said the taoiseach even asked him if he had vised one of Dubl’s most famo gay bars.

IRELAND APPEARS SET TO ELECT FIRST OPENLY GAY PRIME MISTER

” He add that was his belief that Ireland was ready to have a gay prime Roman Catholic Church domated Irish polics until the 1980s and the untry legalised homosexual acts 1993, but Ireland has bee much more liberal recent years as the Church’s public fluence waned the wake of a strg of child sex abe Natnal Women’s Council Ireland was one of the first anisatns to praise Varadkar, scribg his “brave and scere terview” Gay Swchboard work tweeted rponse to his revelatn “Well done.

In his victory speech Varadkar noted that, when he beme Ireland’s youngt-ever Taoiseach 2017, much attentn foced on “what reprented and symbolized” that he had bee both the untry’s first lear of ethnic immigrant stock and s first openly gay prime mister.

But after several missteps, he now tak up the role for a send time, wh the glow of optimism McQuillan/Getty ImagEd O’LoughlReportg om DublWhen Leo Varadkar beme Ireland’s prime mister 2017, he was hailed as a h face European polics, only 38 years old, his untry’s first openly gay lear and the first wh South Asian herage — a personifitn of a rapidly mornizg he returns to office on Saturday, a prearranged power-sharg al, wh that ial optimism dissipated, and wh qutn marks over his judgment and learship Varadkar, who traed as a doctor, was one of Europe’s youngt heads of ernment when he took over om Enda Kenny, then his party’s lear, who had bee embroiled a police whistle-blowg sndal. Varadkar announced that he was gay 2015 while servg as health mister.

IRISH LAWMAKERS ELECT FIRST OPENLY GAY PRIME MISTER

That statement, durg a referendum about legalizg gay marriage, was ced by some as havg ntributed to the measure’s, as prime mister, or taoiseach, Mr.

IRISH PRIME MISTER ATTENDS GAY PRI EVENT NORTHERN IRELAND

Varadkar, a nservative who had once opposed abortn and allowg gay upl to adopt, was a symbol of Ireland’s transn to a socially liberal, secular by the time Mr. He also beme the first openly gay man elected to lead the Republic of Ireland, where homosexualy was illegal until jt 24 years ago.

DUBLIN (Rters) - Leo Varadkar was elected Irish Prime Mister on Wednday, makg the 38-year-old son of an Indian immigrant the first gay premier of the once-stnchly Catholic untry and the youngt person to hold the Varadkar is ngratulated by lleagu as he leav Government buildgs after beg elected by parliamentary vote as the next Prime Mister of Ireland (Taoiseach) to replace Enda Kenny Dubl, Ireland June 14, 2017.

“Enda Kenny’s learship enabled me to bee an equal cizen my own untry two short years ago and to aspire to hold this office, an aspiratn I once thought was beyond my reach, at least if I chose to be myself, ” Varadkar said reference to Ireland’s 2015 vote to legalize gay marriage.

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

6 ln people that only crimalized homosexualy 1993 and legalized divorce two years later.