Gay Pride Budapest. The 2009 Gay Pride was scheduled for July but will be on 2009 September 5th. The '14th Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Festival Budapest' will be from 2008 August 30th until September 6th. Part of the festival will be the Gay Pride March on Saturday, 2009 September 5th. The organizers did not publish any further details yet (progam etc), but we will publish further information as soon as the organizers make it available. Feel free to Send Email and we will keep you informed as soon as the organizers let us know about the program.
Press Release:
'We will not be intimidated'
Organizers call on everyone - straight or gay - to participate at the pride march
On 2009 June 7th the extreme right wing party Movement for a Better Hungary (Jobbik) gained enough votes to send three MEPs to the European Parliament. A week later, on June 14th 2009 the party announced at a press conference that they will work in close cooperation with other extreme right wing political groups to stop the Gay Pride March by all means necessary. We would like to express our concern that one of the primary aim of this new political formation is to hinder a group of citizens in practicing their constitutional rights. Based on the events that took place in the past two years it is beyond doubt that “by all means” includes violent attacks on the Pride March as well. We will not be intimidated! We must show that the majority of Hungary refuses the violent hatred propagated by these groups and is committed to human rights and equality before the law for all!
The Hungarian Constitution and international human rights documents guarantee the right to peaceful assembly to all – including gays and lesbians. The Gay Pride March cannot be stopped by lawful measures, as shown by the decision of the European Court of Human Rights that condemned the banning of the Warsaw Pride in 2005. Gay Pride Marches are held in nearly all capitals of Europe: in most countries it is a cheerful event that combines political demonstration and a fun atmosphere that celebrates diversity with the participation of tens or hundreds of thousands of people.
We have the support of the European Union Council of Human Rights. The Commissioner, Thomas Hammarberg, has said: “The European Court of Human Rights has clarified in several judgments that discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation is not allowed. The EU’s Fundamental Rights Charter explicitly includes discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people have the same rights as others. The international standards do apply to them as well. In other words, discrimination against anyone on the grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity is a human rights violation.”
The Hungarian LGBT community have organized yearly Pride Marches since 1997, in the first ten years these were peaceful demonstrations without any incidents. In the past two years, however, the calls for equal rights were overcome by violent anti-gay protestors. In 2007 protestors threw eggs, gasoline bombs and bags filled with sand and feces at the marchers, while shouting “Fags to the Danube, Jews to follow.” Gays and lesbians leaving the premises where attacked later on by smaller groups of extremists. In 2008 violent incidents started even before the Pride March: a gasoline bomb was thrown on the office of the organizers and the attack of the March was even more violent and organized than a year before. Tragedy could be avoided only by the effective intervention of the police. The violent attacks were organized by Internet sites linked to extreme right wing groups, and, based on police reports open calls for gay bashing were voiced at the official demonstrations of extreme right wing political groups.
We demand that Jobbik and its allies give up the plan of stopping the Gay Pride March from taking place. We call on the police and the prosecutors’ office to closely monitor the operation of these organizations and interfere effectively if the groups prepare to commit criminal activities (violation of the freedom of assembly, violence against a member of a social group). We ask politicians and public figures to make it clear that the violent hindrance of a peaceful demonstration is intolerable in a democratic community.
Finally, we ask everyone committed to human rights to join the Gay Pride March and Festival on September 5th; this march is no longer only about the rights of gay and lesbian people, but about the freedom of each of us.
Rainbow Mission Foundation
Comment by Kevin who visited in June 2006: My friend David and I did the Budapest Gay Pride 2006. It was a fantastic event, with lots of atmospere and friendly people on the march and along the route. The party at Buddha Beach afterwards was amazing, the atmosphere was incredible.
The Sziget Festival is not a gay event, but one of its venue, the Magic
Mirror tent, is officially billed as the GLBT place. See http://www.sziget.hu/festival_english.
Feel free to Send Email and we will email you as soon as we have info about all gay new year parties.
Magnum Sauna: One of the most popular New Year's Eve parties in Budapest for the non clubbing set is the New Year's celebration at the Magnum Sauna. The entrance includes food, all you can drink champagne and show. The show and the buffet will be around 8 pm so that people can also have fun at the Magnum and then go on somewhere else. As this is a consistently sold out event, it is best to reserve in advance. For addtitional info and reservation please Send Email to Magnum Sauna.
Accommodation
Events & Gay Pride
Gay Pride Budapest. The 2009 Gay Pride was scheduled for July but will be on 2009 September 5th. The '14th Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Festival Budapest' will be from 2008 August 30th until September 6th. Part of the festival will be the Gay Pride March on Saturday, 2009 September 5th. The organizers did not publish any further details yet (progam etc), but we will publish further information as soon as the organizers make it available. Feel free to 
The Sziget Festival is not a gay event, but one of its venue, the Magic
Mirror tent, is officially billed as the GLBT place. See 
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