Hungary’s parliament on Tuesday passed a bill amending a 2021 law targeting the LGBTQ+ community, passed under former nationalist leader Viktor Orban.
The 2021 Child Protection Act introduced restrictions on the “representation” or “promotion” of sexual and gender diversity in content accessible to children. In reality, this meant that even books covering these topics in an age-appropriate way could only be sold in black plastic packaging with warnings.
Critics argued that the law promoted the bigoted view automatically linking homosexuality and child abuse. The European Court of Justice also ruled in April that it violated EU treaties.
Tuesday’s amendment repeals most of the law, except for the provision protecting those under 18 from sexually explicit or violent content. It was adopted with the support of the ruling majority, with 139 deputies voting for and 51 against.
What caused this change?
Long-time Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban was removed from office in April. Although his successor Peter Magyar is also a conservative and immigration hardliner, he has promised to break with Orban’s repressive policies on the media, the justice system and other issues.
Magyar has promised to dismantle what he calls endemic corruption and authoritarian structures put in place under Orban’s government.
“We welcome this important signal of commitment to our shared values,” said European Commissioners Michael McGrath and Hadja Lahbib in a joint statement. The bloc then unfroze 4.2 billion euros ($4.7 billion) in funding for Hungary after the vote.
Edited by: Jenipher Camino Gonzalez and Wesley Dockery
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