Feature image of the Budapest Pride Parade 2025 by Janos Kummer via Getty Images
June was a hard month for democracy in the United States. Now that Pride is behind us, it’s time to take stock—not only of what we’ve lost, but also of the lessons we urgently need from LGBTQI+ victories and resistance to growing authoritarianism around the world. This week, Budapest Pride in Hungary offered exactly such a lesson.
The month began with World Pride in Washington, D.C., where turnout was half what organizers predicted, and not a single federal official took the stage. Thanks to discriminatory policies under the Trump Administration—like Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s trans visa restrictions—many trans and nonbinary people were simply too afraid to travel to the U.S. By contrast, World Pride in Australia in 2022 became the country’s biggest event since the 2000 Olympics.
The Canadian organization EGALE called for a boycott of World Pride in D.C., and governments from Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom issued official travel warnings to LGBTQI+ citizens about visiting the United States. Such warnings are usually reserved for places where homosexuality is illegal or blackmail or there’s utter impunity for anti-queer-trans violence. The fact that the U.S. is lumped into that category is staggering.
After years of progress for LGBTQI+ Americans, a recent wave of federal anti-LGBTQI+ policies and court rulings has brought a dangerous new reality. Just this week, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that schools must permit parents to opt out of LGBT-themed books and expanded presidential power even when it risks violating constitutional rights like birthright citizenship. A week earlier, the Department of Health and Human Services defunded the suicide hotline for LGBTQI+ youth. From the Skrmetti decision, to executive orders attacking so-called “gender ideology,” to bans on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, to illegally withholding funds allocated by Congress—the list of authoritarian actions keeps growing and the pace is overwhelming to keep us feeling powerless.
That’s why Hungary’s demonstration of resistance matters so deeply.
In March, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government banned Pride events under the pretext of protecting minors from the “depiction or promotion” of homosexuality. Yet this past Saturday, over 300,000 people flooded the streets of Budapest Pride in defiance. Marchers risked being identified through facial recognition cameras blanketing the city, as well as fines equivalent to $686 each (€586). Considering that only about 30,000 attended Budapest Pride last year, this was a resounding rebuke to Orbán’s repression.
Though likely no fan of Budapest Pride, Donald Trump has openly admired Hungary, calling it a “strong country” and Orbán “a very great leader, a very strong man.” Orbán has become a MAGA favorite because, as Kevin Roberts of the Heritage Foundation explained, “Modern Hungary is not just a model for conservative statecraft, but the model.”
We’re doubtful that’s the only reason for the infatuation. Hungary today has channeled wealth to Orbán and his cronies, earning it the label of the European Union’s “most corrupt country.” It has eroded judicial independence, suppressed university free speech, seized control of the media, and tampered with elections, earning a rebuke from the European Parliament as an “electoral autocracy.” Sound familiar?
We believe that Hungary represents the kind of country Trump and his allies want the United States to become. And Orbán is the kind of ruler Trump aspires to be. We’ve seen many of the strategies from the Orban playbook used by Trump this term. This means there could come a day when Pride is banned in the United States, too. Instead of imagining that as some distant nightmare, we have to face the long-standing truth: American exceptionalism is a myth. And we must learn how Hungarians are fighting back and how to muster the courage to rise up to protect our democratic freedoms.
Americans don’t have the luxury of time. Orbán’s crackdown on LGBTQI+ rights developed gradually. By contrast, the Trump Administration’s attacks on queer rights, diversity, and democracy have been swift. We need to anticipate the next attacks and move from merely reacting to actively charting our own path forward.
Researchers of authoritarianism have actually measured what type of civic resistance works to overthrow authoritarian, illiberal regimes. Looking at hundreds of campaigns over the last century, Harvard University’s Erica Chenoweth found that nonviolent campaigns are twice as likely to achieve their goals as violent campaigns, and although the exact dynamics will depend on many factors, Chenoweth has shown it takes around 3.5% of the population actively participating in the protests to ensure serious political change. Nearly 3% of Hungarians joined Budapest Pride in spite of Orban’s threats.
Three crucial lessons stand out from Hungary’s LGBTQI+ movement.
First, activists pulled from a diverse toolkit.. Human rights defenders turned to the courts, published op-eds, debated opponents on television, and built coalitions across sectors of society. Broad tactics matter.
Second, Hungarians understood that LGBTQI+ rights are inseparable from the broader fight against authoritarianism. It’s not only about queer people—it’s about fighting corruption and defending democracy and equality for all.
Third, they infused resistance with creativity, humor, and joy. Local political groups organized a satirical “Grey Pride” rally a month prior, and instead of beautiful rainbow flags, they carried monochromatic signs proclaiming, “Sameness is trendy.” As one organizer explained, “That’s the twist, of course. We don’t want everyone to be the same.” People love Pride marches because of the colors, the diversity, the freedom, and the pure queer joy that is palpable. We should keep celebrating the beauty of our queerness.
The work in Hungary isn’t finished—but it’s making a difference. People are mobilizing, finding hope, and showing that countless everyday citizens are willing to take risks for justice. That’s why hundreds of thousands poured into the streets last Saturday to claim their rights despite the ban and threats.
Hungary is just one example. Across the globe—from Uganda to Kenya, Lebanon to Egypt, Indonesia to South Korea, Poland to the United Kingdom, Guatemala to Argentina—LGBTQI+ movements are resisting powerful adversaries and defending their rights and the dignity of all. Studying these movements isn’t optional—it’s essential if we want to chart a path away from the threat of American autocracy toward democracy, and perhaps even toward equity.
While some in the U.S. are retreating—like too many corporations, law firms, and universities dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion programs—others are stepping up. Litigation is working. Community organizing is flourishing. People are starting to create the muscle memory to protest regularly in the streets and to defend their immigrant neighbors. There are early signs that Congress might eventually reassert its constitutional role as a check on presidential power. But as Senator Chris Murphy has even said, “The only route through this crisis is the mobilization of the public.”
While the start of the month in DC was lackluster, the end of Pride month proved inspirational. All of us have a role to play. Doing something regularly helps keep hope alive and despair away. Call your representatives every day—even if they’re already supportive, they need to hear from constituents. Join a community mobilization group like Indivisible or Working Families or Public Citizen. Get trained to help immigrant neighbors resist illegal deportations. Find your way to engage that matches your particular risk tolerance, but don’t let fear immobilize! If nothing else, donate to organizations doing good work. And if you are able, show up for every mass mobilization. Keep queer joy, humor, and defiance alive in your activism long after the parades end.
As our Hungarian friends have shown us in vivid color, we are an essential part of the resistance—and of the fight for equality itself.
Muster all your courage for this moment. What we all do collectively right now will write this chapter of history.
Thank you for this!
Glad to see this on autostraddle, thank you.