This year's gay festival was in many respects unprecedented. Never before has it happened that the embassies of thirteen countries, among them England, the United States, the Czech Republic, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Sweden and Slovenia, supported in a joint statement the Budapest parade of those attracted to their own sex. This is all the more unusual because in other instances, diplomats are extremely careful not to make unambiguous statements and, supposedly, they have no intention of interfering with the internal affairs of a country.

Now, during the Swedish Presidency of the European Union, Sweden's ambassador gave an interview, published in last Friday's edition of the daily Magyar Nemzet. Cecilia Björner, who signed the joint statement concerning the "gay parade", refused to take a stand on the situation of the Hungarian minority living in Slovakia, or concerning the issue of Hungarian head of state László Sólyom being denied entry into Slovakia, what's more, she went on to say that both countries were responsible for what happened.

Unnecessary exhibitionism

Last week's series of events was exceptional because more than ever before, it brought to light the divisions among Hungarian homosexuals. In the past few weeks, it has become evident on different forums that some of those concerned are not at all happy about a parade being organised in their name. "I don't think that as a lesbian I should die a "martyr's death" on Andrássy Street in the interest of the noble goal of being accepted. I suppose that the aim is to change the negative opinion that people have of us, homosexuals, but unnecessary exhibitionism on our part just increases the antipathy they feel for us," says a lesbian girl called Alexa on a homepage entitled divany.hu.

At the so-called "gay forum" held last Wednesday at the Művész cinema in the capital, the homosexuals who opposed the parade mentioned the transvestites dressed in pink attire, twisting and writhing in thongs and other repulsive phenomena of earlier parades, which only served to reinforce the aversion of the majority of society. A psychologist suggested the Krishna-believers as an example to the organisers, saying that while they were considered as a destructive sect in the 1990's, thanks to their credible communication, the community has now managed to become accepted in Hungary.

The manager of the Alliance of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgenders (LMBT), Zsolt Virág, who was present, did not want to even hear of transvestites and other "exhibitionists" being excluded. "It would be very strange indeed if we limited the participation of those whose "predecessors" were beaten up by the police in America forty years ago, for the parade is organised in their memory," he reminded us. He went so far as to say that the arguments of those homosexuals who opposed the Budapest Pride parade were similar to those of people who were trying to have the event banned, for example Ilona Ékes of Fidesz, or Jobbik, or the "Fascists", i.e. that they all wanted the same thing: to prohibit "gay people" from parading in the streets.

Only three couples

This year there was no public indecency, on the contrary, the parade was quite restrained, almost dignified. Unlike last year, no one threw stones or eggs at the troop of circa one thousand people; it's true that the cordon around Andrássy Street virtually hermetically sealed them off and made such attacks impossible. Only the few dozen "counter-demonstrators" who clashed with the police caused a scandal, but this did not disrupt the parade itself. If we can believe the estimates, according to which about five percent of any society is homosexual, then in Hungary, less than half a percent of those concerned actually march in the streets each year. This raises questions of legitimacy, for the NGO's of Hungarian "gay people" refer to half a million who share their fate, without being authorized to do so by the hidden majority.

At last week's forum, those concerned complained that not one of the dozen Hungarian "gay organisations" had more than 15-20 members; thus it is difficult to authentically represent the opinion of all homosexuals. The alliance (LMBT) that was formed this spring out of six different organisations is aware of this problem, that is why its leaders promise to regularly carry out research and ensure the possibility of voting on the internet in order to better develop their standpoint.

This is all the more necessary as an embarrassing fact came to light during this festival: although the "gay organisations" were busy lobbying for registered partnerships to be enacted, since the legislation came into force on July 1st, altogether thirty couples have actually appeared before a registrar. If there had really been such a great demand for this institution - which is almost the equivalent of a marriage, except for the ban on adoption and artificial insemination - then there would, no doubt, have been many more couples ready for action.

"The numbers are not so important, it's the symbolic nature of the law that counts; the fact that if someone wants to, they can choose to live in a partnership. Just as heterosexuals are not obliged to get married, neither do we have to make use of this theoretical possibility," explains Zsolt Virág to Heti Válasz. As for the divisiveness of those who share his fate, he says: "If the majority of society is divided concerning many issues, why then should we have to agree on everything?"

They've launched a counterattack

The events of the last few years show that some Hungarian homosexuals have grown tired of their minority existence and have launched a counterattack. With the participation of famous Hungarian actors and actresses - among others Pál Mácsai, Tamás Jordán, Eszter Csákányi and Andrea Fullajtár - a video-clip was recorded entitled Fuck you (Lily Allen's song), in which homophobes were criticised, and the introduction of a law that would punish those who attacked sexual diversity in their speech was suggested. And while in America, priests, pastors and rabbis are afraid of state reprisal if they do not marry couples of the same sex, here in Hungary, the LMBT alliance calls the attention of those wishing to be in a registered partnership to the fact that the registrar cannot refuse to wed them on the grounds that it is against his/her conscience.

A television advertisement was recently banned in Canada. In this ad, an NGO was advertising a therapy aimed at people who wanted to put an end to their otherness, and in other countries, the doctor who dares to help those who wish to return to a heterosexual life style has managed to anger homosexuals. What's more, the doctrine that "homosexuality is a one-way street" has become such a dogma that Ádám Nádasdy (poet and professor of linguistics at ELTE University) explained at the opening of this year's festival that he considered anyone who did not give their love to their fellows, and was looking for a way back to the majority of society, to be selfish. "I most certainly wouldn't want my daughter to marry someone who has been reorientated like that," said the linguist categorically.

"We could only talk about therapy if homosexuality were an illness that could be cured. But ever since 1974, homosexuality is not on the list of psychiatric illnesses, and I don't feel that I'm a clinical case, either," says Zsolt Virág. However, the opinion of a psychiatrist who spoke to our paper anonymously shows a different aspect of the question. According to the expert, every single person can be placed on a scale between the two extremes of total heterosexuality and total homosexuality, and the closer one is to the latter, the harder it is - in many cases it really is impossible - to find one's way back. "Many people become homosexual because it's trendy, or because of the environment around them, or out of habit, and it is possible to help these people. That is why we must determine where the person can be placed on that scale, and therapy should only be started if there is a chance of success," says the psychiatrist.

Ilona Ékes, who was in favour of prohibiting the parade, chose her words carefully and called homosexuality a mental disorder, and not an illness. Nevertheless, she was attacked from all sides and the socialists demanded that she resign from her office in the parliament's committee for human rights, minority, civil and religious affairs. (Zsolt Török, member of the Socialist Party, went so far as to falsify what Ékes had said, stating that the Fidesz politician had demanded that "gays" be given medicinal treatment, although she had not said this.)

"I agree with Ilona Ékes that many people might be offended by the parade and that it may endanger the moral development of minors. I would not, however, stress prohibition. I would prefer to say that the police should permit the parade but only if they are able to guarantee that the parade does not offend the rights of others," Zoltán Balog, Fidesz MP and president of the committee for human rights, minority, civil and religious affairs, told Heti Válasz before the parade. "At the same time, this is basically about Ilona Ékes' right to the freedom of speech," said the politician. "It is indisputable that we must respect the dignity of homosexuals, but if criticizing them is not allowed, that means one thing: that a minority has introduced a dictatorship of opinions in Hungary."