Hungary has officially passed a law to prevent the sharing of content that is considered to āpromote homosexuality or gender changeā with under 18s, meaning LGBTQ+ topics can no longer be discussed in school or on childrenās TV. The bill was first introduced by Hungaryās Fidesz party, led by anti-LGBTQ+ prime minister Viktor OrbĆ”n, as an amendment to an anti-paedophilia law.
The legislation was then passed by the countryās national assembly in a 157-1 vote, with a government spokesperson saying: āThere are contents which children under a certain age can misunderstand and which may have a detrimental effect on their development.ā The day before the vote saw thousands protest outside parliament, urging politicians to reject the law. A petition against it was signed by more than 100,000 people.
Following the success of the bill, Amnesty International described it as āa dark day for LGBTQ+ rightsā in the country. David Vig, director of Amnesty International Hungary, urged the EU to take action, saying: āThe EU and its member states must take urgent steps by raising this issue at the next General Affairs Meeting in the Council and ensuring that the EU is a safe place for LGBTQ+ people.ā
Hungary has passed a handful of anti-LGBTQ+ bills during OrbĆ”nās presidency, including a ban on same-sex couples adopting which was passed in late 2020. Deputy prime minister, Zsolt Semjen, argued the law would ensure the āhealthy developmentā of children. It was strongly contested by LGBTQ+ activists and advocacy organisations.
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