Many people don’t know that Pride is not just the march itself, but a weeks-long festival with countless diverse programmes and events, with the march and Rainbow Party in Budapest Park as the final act. This year, the festival will be held between 6th June and 29th June 2025, during which participants will be able to choose from more than 90 programmes in Budapest and Szeged.
The opening ceremony of Pride was held on the evening of the 6th of June, in the Great Hall of the Aquarium Club, where guests could meet a number of public figures and politicians, us from qLit were also present.
Lilu (Ildikó Kovalcsik) was the host of the opening ceremony, who cited the words of German pastor Martin Niemöller, as an explanation as to why she accepted the invitation even though a lot of people tried to talk her out of it.
‘First [the Nazis] came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me’
First, President Viktória Radványi took to the stage to officially open Pride. Viki told us that the organizing team is not feeling well, the last three months have taken a toll on their bodies and souls, but they are not giving up because they, that is, we are at home, and this is our country too. She had some important thoughts about what she thinks it means to be Hungarian today. In her opinion, being a Hungarian is not about waving a flag, but about helping each other, appreciating each other, and taking care of our beloved country.
She was followed by Béla Tarr, Kossuth and Béla Balázs Prize-winning Hungarian film director and screenwriter, who read the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights from beginning to end to great effect. When Hungary became a member of the United Nations in 1955, it accepted the principles contained in the Declaration, such as Article 1: ‘All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.’ or Article 20: ‘Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.’
Then we welcomed poet Rebeka Kupihár to the stage, whose speech brought tears to many of our eyes, so we have shared it in full with you: https://qlit.hu/en/rebeka-kupihars-opening-speech-of-the-30th-budapest-pride/. Péter Sárosi, an activist and drug policy expert, also spoke at the opening ceremony, and the Background Award (Háttér Society Award) was presented.
The next speaker was Domi Milanovich, psychologist-journalist and editor-in-chief of WMN, and finally Dorka Gryllus, freelance actress, spoke about her belief in a normal world, where we don’t have to lie or suffer because we are different, because we shape the world ourselves. In between the speeches, Tamás Molnár performed some songs and Tibor Bödőcs surprised us with a video made for the occasion to close the evening, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkM8ILU58fs
There will also be great activities this weekend as part of the Pride festival, starting with the 2nd qLit Women’s Football Cup, where – if no one else signs up – 10 teams will compete.
The programme starts at 10 am and is scheduled to end at 17:30 with the announcement of the results. Even if you’re not playing, the Bikás Park is a great place for a picnic, for sunbathing, or just spending a relaxing Saturday afternoon at. Also on the 21st, there will be a Supportive Parents Family Day organised by Parents for LGBTQ+ People, where Kristóf Steiner and Rita Perintfalvi will share their thoughts on the topic. During the weekend, there will be a guided tour, book launch, PrEP Workshop, MKKP and Ace Picnic, and even an online roundtable discussion with LGBTQ comic creators. Even from this small list, you can see that the organisers have tried to think of everyone, so feel free to browse the Pride website and take part in as many activities as possible: https://budapestpride.hu/en/esemenyek/lista/
Translation by Zsófia Ziaja
