Roman Street Artist Shows Queer Orban on Eve of Pride March

Budapest: Roman street artist Laika has unveiled a provocative mural in Budapest depicting a ‘queer’ version of Prime Minister Viktor Orban on the eve of the Gay Pride march, an event the hardline rightist leader has banned. The artwork portrays Orban in queer attire, featuring a skirt, pink heels, lipstick, and a tie displaying colors symbolic of the trans community, all while he waves a rainbow flag.

According to Ansa News Agency, the mural, titled “Another Hungary is Possible,” appeared in central Budapest and is signed by the masked female artist from Rome. The hem of the skirt bears the words “Free Maja,” a tribute to a non-binary anti-fascist activist detained in Hungary. Laika’s work sends a clear message, posted on social media, coinciding with the Budapest Pride event.

In her social media post, Laika expressed a dream where Orban joined the streets advocating for civil rights, democracy, and against far-right groups and mistreatment in prisons. “Street art, however, has the power to show the imposs
ible, the utopian. And above all, it has the power to make sovereignists like you angry. Being here in Budapest today is a risk, but it is also necessary,” she emphasized.

Laika highlighted the importance of the mural for the Hungarian LGBTQIA+ community and Europe as a whole, urging the defense of democracy and human rights. The artist announced her intention to attend the demonstration incognito, encouraging others to join her in resisting the homophobic and xenophobic sentiments. Orban, however, has issued warnings of “legal consequences” for those participating in the Saturday event.