On the 2022 elections and referendum
On 3rd April, 2022, there were parliamentary elections and a homo- and transphobic referendum in Hungary. While the queer community and their supporters are devastated by the two thirds majority the Orbán government received again, Labrisz Lesbian Association celebrates the results of the referendum which is a strong message to both Orbán and the opposition, and calls for the queer community to stay united and continue to fight for democracy and human rights.
We are shocked and disappointed with the election results. It is astonishing that the majority has once again given its support to an authoritarian regime in which hate-mongering against sexual minorities and artificially manufactured enemies (i.e. queer people who allegedly corrupt children and turn them queer by talking to them about the existence of sexual minorities) can be the main theme of an election campaign. Where the assertion of human rights and the fight against social inequalities can be called 'gender craze' and 'gay propaganda', where NGOs fighting for equal rights and acceptance can be called 'Soros agents', 'Brussels propagandists' and 'international gay lobbyists', where civic activism and critical opinions can be suppressed by means of trumped-up legal and political instruments.
However, on the day of the elections, it also became clear that a large part of the country cannot be turned homophobic and cannot be led by nonsensical questions, that sexual minorities cannot be used as a target for selling the pretence of democracy as a "referendum". It turns out that the practice of politicians using children and the promise of protecting children to consolidate their own power is rejected by a large part of society.
The outcome of the referendum also shows that when we stand up and fight together, we are very powerful. 1.6 million people voted invalidly at the referendum. This is a huge success for our campaign! We are very proud of the people who cast invalid votes, and of our partner organisations and Labrisz activists who worked so hard for this. Thanks for having the chance to work together with other LGBTQ+ and human rights organisations to make this happen. Thanks for understanding what this 'referendum' was all about and sending the message to Fidesz that you don’t want any of their ‘gender craze’. At the same time this is a message to the opposition as well: don’t be afraid to take LGBT+ issues on your agenda. You will not lose voters. Your voters were the ones who invalidated the referendum.
Orbán hinted in his victory speech that he considers civic organisations to be one of his enemies. He considers them his enemy because they speak out against oppression, inequality and violence. But we are not afraid to speak out. As Audre Lorde said, we may remain silent for fear of speaking out, but remaining silent will not make us any less afraid. Labrisz will continue to work for a more liveable, inclusive society, for mutual respect and equal rights. We will not give up, we have each other, together we are strong. The world is following what’s happening to LGBTQ+ people in Hungary and supporting us to stand up against oppression.
And there isn’t a better opportunity to demonstrate solidarity, support and sisterhood than the 3rd European Lesbian* Conference, which is taking place in Budapest in the autumn. The first and the second conferences were staged in Vienna in 2017 and in Kyiv in 2019. The event gathered, thanks to the Eurocentralasian Lesbian* Community (EL*C), hundreds of lesbians. Labrisz is eager to co-host the third one, which will be a very important political moment for all those fighting obscurantism and the spread of deliberately discriminative and repressive gender politics in Europe.