Multiple embassies and various cultural institutions from over 30 countries released a joint statement on Friday supporting the rights of LGBTQ+ people in Hungary, ahead of the 28th Budapest Pride Festival. Signatories to the statement included the US, the UK, Ukraine, France, Germany, Italy and others. The group emphasized the importance of revoking laws that discriminate against LGBT people. The statement says that signatories reject and condemn all acts of violence, stigmatization and discrimination against LGBT people. It also stresses the need to eliminate political rhetoric that contributes to discrimination.

Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban has banned “gay propaganda,” which he defines as any content that is believed to “promote” homosexuality in schools or in the media. His government fined Hungary’s largest booksellers for selling the LGBT novel “Heartstopper” without closed wrapping. Orban and his right-wing Fidesz party have pushed many anti-LGBT actions, including urging voters to redefine the definition of marriage to exclude same-sex couples, limiting the ability of those couples to adopt and revoking the legal recognition of transgender individuals.

The European Commission launched a lawsuit last year saying that Hungary’s anti-LGBTQ+ laws are highly discriminatory. The lawsuit was supported by 15 EU governments including France, Germany and Slovenia. Italy and Poland were not in support of the lawsuit. Despite this lawsuit and the reaction of the international community, Orban continues to defend his style of governance.