
The Hungarian Parliament voted to remove legislation banning the mention of homosexuality to minors, led by conservative Peter Magyar.
AI-generated summary
Viktor Orban introduced measures in 2021 prohibiting the mention of homosexuality to minors, deemed contrary to European law by the CJEU in April.
Hungarian MPs voted on Tuesday to remove anti-LGBT+ provisions contained in a 2021 “child protection” law, adopted by former nationalist leader Viktor Orban and condemned by European justice.
Parliament adopted by 139 votes for and 51 against the text which abolishes the legislation prohibiting since 2021 in the name of “child protection” the mention of homosexuality and gender identity to minors. This is the first clear sign of a change in policy regarding LGBT+ rights in Hungary since conservative Peter Magyar came to power.
“The fact that restrictions on access to LGBT+ content are being removed is certainly an important and positive step forward,” said Tamas Dombos of rights group Hatter Society. Peter Magyar says these changes will allow Hungary to comply with European law. However, he presented these changes not as a restoration of LGBT+ rights, but as a strengthening of existing child protection rules, “regardless of sexual orientation”. His Tisza party has a comfortable two-thirds majority allowing it to do without the support of Viktor Orban's Fidesz party, which had announced that it would vote against.
“There is still a lot to do”
Viktor Orban had gradually restricted LGBT+ rights in Hungary, starting in 2020 with the ban on legal recognition of transgender people. Anti-LGBT+ legislation was introduced the following year as an addition to existing child protection rules, officially intended to combat child crime. It prohibited the mention of homosexuality and a gender identity other than the sex assigned at birth to those under the age of 18.
The text aroused the indignation of activists and many EU leaders, who denounced the stigmatization of LGBT+ people and the conflation established between homosexual relations and child crime. Last year, the legislation was further tightened to serve as the basis for banning pride marches. In April, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), the EU's highest court, ruled that the 2021 law violated the bloc's “very identity”. Following this ruling, the police authorized the pride marches this year.

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