Hungary: Proposed law a new frontal attack against LGBTI people

Responding to the tabling of anti-LGBTI legal amendments that would ban education and  advertising that is deemed to “popularize”, or even depict, consensual same-sex conduct or the affirming of one’s gender to children, Director of Amnesty International Hungary, David Vig said:

“These proposals, which have dark echoes of Russia’s anti-gay “propaganda law”, will further stigmatize LGBTI people, exposing them to greater discrimination in what is already a hostile environment for those who are LGBTI or perceived to be so.

“Tagging these amendments to a bill that seeks to crack down on child abuse appears to be a deliberate attempt by the Hungarian government to conflate paedophilia with LGBTI people.

“That this should happen just weeks after Hungary took over the Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe shows how brazen Viktor Orban’s government has become in using hateful populism to target minorities. The EU and its member states must demand that the Hungarian authorities remove these amendments from the bill before it goes to vote on 15 June.”

Background

The amendments require that all media content that “propagates homosexuality or portrays it” shall not be shown to children under 18, and commercials that show “diversion from one’s biological sex, change of gender, propagates or portrays homosexuality” shall not be made accessible to under-18s.

The amendments also require that TV and radio commercials that show “diversion from one’s biological sex, change of gender, propagates or portrays homosexuality” may only be shown between 10pm and 5am. Violators of this regulation could be fined, or have their broadcasting suspended.

The proposal also requires that human rights education courses in schools on ”sexual orientation” may only be held if they respect Hungary’s “constitutional identity” and its Christian culture and as long as they do not propagate consensual same-sex conduct or the affirming of one’s gender.