Freedom blocked

Written on December 3, 2022

As the last festivalgoers take down their tents in August and shake off the Danube dust, the Sziget Festival returns to its usual Hungarian rhythm. For six days, Budapest's Óbuda Island has transformed into a world of its own: a sanctuary of music, activism, and radical openness in a country increasingly conservative under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

The story lies in this contrast: a clash between two worlds within the same national borders.

Two worlds, one country

While Sziget speaks of love, equality, and freedom—with platforms for LGBTQ rights and open discussions on identity and sexual diversity—Orbán advocates a different narrative. A few days before the festival, the Hungarian prime minister spoke at a conservative summit in Dallas of the need for "more rangers, fewer transvestites." In Romania, he spoke of preserving "racial purity," drawing fierce criticism even from within his own circle.

Orbán's statements are not isolated incidents. Since 2010, his government has passed law after law restricting the freedom of sexual minorities. From the constitutional exclusion of same-sex marriage to a so-called "anti-propaganda" law effectively banning any discussion of homosexuality and gender identity in schools.

The magic mirror

In Sziget, the Magic Mirror tent symbolized a different Hungarian reality. Discussions included trans rights, homosexuality, and even Jesus' trans identity. For Hungarian LGBTQ visitors, the space was a haven of peace, a cultural and emotional oasis.

Activists like Viktória Radványi and organizations like Amnesty International were clearly present. They informed visitors about the April 2022 referendum, which invited citizens to vote on LGBTQ+ rights. The anti-LGBTQ+ campaign was so powerful that more than 1.6 million people canceled their votes. The result: a non-binding result, but also an unprecedented mobilization of young people.

Inequality in information, not in humanity

In the conversations in Sziget, there is little hatred, but rather concern. Not toward rural conservatives, but rather about their access to honest information. According to the volunteers present, hatred often stems from ignorance. In regions where state media dominate and nuance is lacking, stereotypes persist.

Yet, among young people, the desire for greater visibility, debate, and empowerment is growing. The festival shows that the LGBTQ+ community is growing stronger, but also more strategic and hopeful.

Not a conflict, but a contradiction

While Viktor Orbán likes to talk about a "clash of civilizations," many Sziget activists perceive an internal contradiction. They argue that Hungary is not a divide between progressives and conservatives, but a society in transition, full of contradictions, but also full of potential.

The fact that the festival continues to grow, that more and more young people are openly campaigning for diversity, and that even conservative families are attending Sziget shows that public opinion is not static. According to the organizers, the process of change has already begun, just as in Western Europe, but more slowly and with greater difficulty.

The power of culture

Despite the repressive laws, no one has been prosecuted for violating the anti-LGBTQ law to date. The government appears to be ruling by fear and framing, not enforcement. The tactic is sophisticated: avoiding prosecutions that could fail in Strasbourg and, instead, fueling public opinion with propaganda.

But this strategy is now backfiring. More and more young people are joining the movement. More and more people are coming out as gay. And while the government is trying to sow division, the festival is inadvertently building a generation that takes inclusion for granted.

Freedom as contagion

Sziget is not an island in its own right, but a cultural symbol. It illustrates what Hungary is and where it can flourish. It proves that even in a repressive climate, freedom cannot be completely suppressed, especially when young people dance, speak, and love without shame.

What began as a music festival has become a space for collective, politically engaged resistance. In this sense, Sziget is not an escape from reality, but a harbinger of a new reality. A reality where the slogans of liberty, equality, and fraternity take on new meaning, precisely where they are most needed.