Hungary removes anti-LGBTQ rules from Orban's child protection law

The Hungarian parliament has abolished key provisions of the controversial child protection law from the government of Viktor Orban. With 139 votes to 51, the MPs decided to delete those passages that prohibited the depiction and so-called promotion of homosexuality and gender diversity towards minors.

The reform is a clear departure from the policies of former Prime Minister Orban. His successor Peter Magyar and his bourgeois-conservative Tisza party replaced Orban in the parliamentary elections in April.

The law passed in 2021 had significantly restricted the rights of LGBTQ people in Hungary. Information about homosexuality and gender reassignment should not be made available to children and young people under the age of 18.

Books with relevant content sometimes had to be offered in shops shrink-wrapped in black foil. The depiction of same-sex relationships in films and on television was also restricted.

The Orban government cited the protection of children. Critics accused her of discriminating against sexual minorities and equating homosexuality with sexual violence against children. The regulations have also been used to ban pride parades.

The law led to conflict between Hungary and the European Union. Because of the law, the EU had blocked funding worth around half a billion euros since the end of 2022. In addition, the European Court of Justice found in April that the regulations violated EU law and the Union's common values.

The reform aims to remove the current restrictions on depictions of homosexuality and gender diversity. Instead, the Child Protection Act will in future be more directed against content that can harm children and young people. This includes, in particular, depictions of sexual violence and exploitation as well as pornographic content.

Prime Minister Magyar criticized MPs from the former ruling party Fidesz and the right-wing nationalist party Mi Hazank who voted against the amendment. He described their rejection of a law to protect children from violence as a “disgrace”.

During the election campaign, Magyar announced that he would break with the authoritarian structures of the Orban era and improve relations with the EU. However, he had long been reserved when it came to issues of LGBTQ rights.

The change in the law is an important step for the LGBTQ community in Hungary. However, it remains to be seen whether all the restrictions on their rights introduced under Orban will no longer apply.