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The June 2024 LGBTQ Budapest Pride parade in Hungary.
Hard Numbers: Hungary moves to cancel Pride, China seeks to increase consumption, ‘Coalition of the Willing’ takes shape for Ukraine, HIV treatments run low without US aid, Tourists get cheeky at the Great Wall
200,000: Hungary’s ruling Fidesz Party has intensified its crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights by proposing a bill to ban the Budapest Pride March, just as the event approaches its 30th anniversary. The bill, which is likely to pass given the ruling party’s two-thirds majority in parliament, will criminalize those who violate Hungary’s “child protection” legislation that prohibits the depiction or promotion of homosexuality to minors. Event organizers have condemned the proposed fine of 200,000 Hungarian forints ($546) as a blatant assault on freedom of speech and assembly, as Viktor Orban’s Hungary continues its departure from the core values agreed upon by all members of the European Union.
5: China on Monday unveiled a new plan to revitalize its economy struggling to cope with deflation, unemployment, low household income, a property market downturn, and an ongoing trade war with the United States. The government announced steps to “vigorously boost consumption” by increasing the minimum wage and strengthening support for education and healthcare, with hopes to hit the ambitious growth target of “around 5%” for the year laid out by Premier Li Qiang. But the new guidelines lack concrete steps to stimulate domestic demand and are unlikely to upend the economy’s persistent structural issues.
30: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesman told reporters on Monday that “more than 30 countries” are ready to send troops to enforce a peace deal in Ukraine. Although he didn’t name names, the UK, France, Australia, Denmark, and Sweden previously signaled their willingness to contribute forces. This “coalition of the willing” doesn’t include the United States, but Starmer and other leaders suggest an American security guarantee is still key to a successful peacekeeping mission.
8: The World Health Organization warned that eight countries are facing the exhaustion of life-saving HIV treatments after the withdrawal of US foreign aid. Haiti, Kenya, Lesotho, South Sudan, Burkina Faso, Mali, Nigeria, and Ukraine are all in danger of running out of supplies in the coming months. At a press conference, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that “disruptions of HIV programs could undo 20 years of progress,” potentially leading to 10 million additional cases of HIV and 3 million deaths.
2: A Japanese man and woman were detained for two weeks and then deported for cheeky behavior at one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations. According to the Japanese embassy, the incident stemmed from a prank in which the woman photographed the man exposing his backside at the Great Wall. Reports say exposing the lower half of the body in a public place violates Beijing’s strict decency laws.
The Graphic Truth: LGBTQI identification vs. social acceptance
International polls often gauge what percentage of a given population identify as LGBTQI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, intersex). But the willingness of people to divulge their gender identification and sexual preference is likely influenced by social and cultural attitudes towards LGBTQI people. In Saudi Arabia, for instance, where same-sex sexual acts can be punishable by death, no one is going to be upfront about their sexual proclivities. We look at the percentage of people who identify as LGBTQI in G20 countries, as well as how each of these countries rank on UCLA Law School’s LGBTI Social Acceptance Index.
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