Anti-LGBTQ conservatism tightens its grip in Eastern Europe

As in previous years, Romania’s capital hosted two competing marches last weekend: the annual Pride parade celebrating LGBTQ rights, and the increasingly vocal and politically backed “March for Normality”. Originally organized by the far-right Noua Dreaptă party, the event has been overtaken and rebranded by the extremist S.O.S Romania party, which now serves as its co-organizer and main political driver, EUalive partner pressone.ro reports.

While the message has remained consistent – ultra-conservative, nationalist, and anti-EU, the scale and symbolism have escalated. Under banners proclaiming “Orthodoxy Saves Romania” and “Divine Law, Christian Family”, participants gathered in Victory Square before marching to the Romanian Patriarchate.

The ideological core of the demonstration remained firmly anti-LGBTQIA+, opposing same-sex civil partnerships, sexual education in schools, and so-called “gender ideology”. The protest was visually split: some wore white, the official color of S.O.S Romania, while others donned black, reminiscent of the Identitarian Community and other extremist groups. Among them were women in floral dresses, including outspoken MEP Diana Șoșoacă, who took center stage.

MEP dominates the protest

Șoșoacă marched flanked by bodyguards, carrying a wooden cross in one hand and a large protest banner in the other. With no microphone in hand, she yelled at the top of her lungs, “TikTok, take to the streets!” and directed one of her guards to “take some photos”. Her voice was later amplified by a nearby man with a portable speaker.

Alongside Șoșoacă was Tudor Ionescu, a deputy from S.O.S and former leader of Noua Dreaptă. Participants had come from various cities, with visible regional delegations from Constanța (under the S.O.S logo) and Arad (under Noua Dreaptă’s banner). The crowd was diverse in age, ranging from young children in strollers to priests and MPs.

Interestingly, there was no official presence from the far-right AUR party, despite the shared nationalist agenda. The event was not promoted on any of AUR’s official channels, possibly due to ongoing political tensions between the two formations.

Homophobic rhetoric on full display

Throughout the march, hateful slogans rang out. “No gays in Parliament!”, chanted Șoșoacă, echoed by the crowd. Some participants made derogatory jokes about Pride attendees, while others expressed open aggression toward public figures like Elena Lasconi, a Romanian mayor who had voiced support for LGBTQ rights.

A few carried placards and religious icons. One young man had a tattoo of fascist leader Corneliu Zelea Codreanu on his leg. Another group waved a flag emblazoned with the Celtic Cross, commonly associated with white supremacist movements. Although the flag disappeared quickly, its presence underscored the far-right undercurrent of the protest.

One slogan stood out in particular: “In Romania, nobody is born gay”. The chant was awkward and off-beat at first, prompting a woman with a megaphone to call someone at the front of the march for clarification. The chant was eventually refined to: “The truth is with us – nobody is born gay”.

Bulgaria: A parallel narrative

Romania is not alone in this ideological crusade. In neighbouring Bulgaria, anti-LGBTQ mobilisation is gaining traction. Coinciding with Sofia Pride each year is the so-called National March for the Family, billed as a celebration of “Christian and universal conservative family values” and traditional marriage between a man and a woman.

While organisers insist the event is non-confrontational, its political undertones are unmistakable. The groups behind the march were also instrumental in mobilizing opposition to the Istanbul Convention, a Council of Europe treaty aimed at preventing gender-based violence. Many of the event’s promoters have also been linked to Russian influence networks operating in Bulgaria.

Although less overtly aggressive than the Romanian event, the Bulgarian march is part of the same regional pushback against progressive values and minority rights.

Hungary: Orbán’s government escalates crackdown

The most severe institutional response, however, comes from Hungary. Just days before the start of Budapest Pride, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán signed a new decree banning the display of “symbols related to or promoting” sexual minorities on government buildings, including those of the central bank.

The government said the move was “symbolic”, insisting such displays were not common practice. However, it sends a clear message of exclusion. Municipal buildings are not affected by the ban, and Budapest’s City Hall, under liberal mayor Gergely Karácsony, continues to fly the rainbow flag during Pride events.

Despite the tightening legal environment, Pride organizers have confirmed this year’s parade will proceed as planned.

The ban is only the latest in a series of anti-LGBTQ measures adopted by the Orbán government. A 2021 Hungarian law prohibiting LGBTQ content in media and bookstores, ostensibly to protect minors – has come under intense legal scrutiny from the European Union. Advocate General Tamara Ćapeta of the European Court of Justice recently concluded that the law constitutes an “unjustified interference” with EU rights.

The ruling, expected within weeks, may have serious consequences. Sixteen EU member states, including France and Germany, have joined the lawsuit filed by the European Commission.

Since the law came into effect, Hungarian broadcasters have been barred from airing LGBTQ-themed content during daytime hours, and bookstores have been fined for selling children’s books with LGBTQ characters.

Whether driven by electoral strategy, religious fervor, or foreign influence, the suppression of LGBTQ visibility and rights has become a rallying cry for Eastern Europe’s conservative political movements.

Other sources: BGNES

[Caption: People attend the Gay Pride 2025 parade, in downtown Bucharest, Romania, 7 June 2025. EPA/EFE/Robert Ghement]