Hungary is reportedly pushing a law outlawing the spread of LGBTQ+ content to minors in an echo of Russia’s 2013 “propaganda” ban.
Put forward to Hungary’s National Assembly on Thursday, the proposal would mandate that children under the age of 18 be forbidden from viewing materials alleged to promote “homosexuality” or “gender change,” according to the BBC. The law would reportedly pertain to everything from pornography and corporate advertisements to literature and educational materials.
The legislation, which is aimed at cracking down on pedophilia, also allows the government to hand pick the organizations that are permitted to present sexual education workshops in schools.
Human rights organizations have been highly critical of the parliamentary bill, which is scheduled to receive a vote on Tuesday. The Háttér Society, an LGBTQ+ community group based in Hungary, said the legislation “would seriously curb freedom of speech and children’s rights.”
“This step endangers the mental health of LGBTQI youth by making it harder for them to receive preventive education and affirmative support in due time,” said spokesperson Luca Dudits in a statement. “They have a right to an education which helps them develop into healthy, fully rounded people, which means they should receive relevant and comprehensive information about sexuality and family life.”
“We call on the government to withdraw the amendment, and the opposition not to vote on the bill in this form,” he added.
Others likened the measure to Russia’s controversial ban on materials depicting “nontraditional sexual relationships” from being disseminated to minors. In a statement to the Associated Press, Amnesty International Hungary Executive Director David Vig said the law “will further stigmatize LGBTI people, exposing them to greater discrimination in what is already a hostile environment.”
The passage of Russia’s “propaganda” law 8 years ago led to the elimination of virtually all forms of public LGBTQ+ life. Pride parades have been frequently banned by city governments, and marchers who organize in defiance have faced arrest and violence from police. Even posting a pro-LGBTQ+ news article on Facebook could mean a fine.
Extrajudicial attacks on LGBTQ+ Russians have also increased. In 2017, Reuters reported that anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes had doubled since the law was signed.
Advocacy groups worry Hungary’s law may have a similar effect. In a 2017 report conducted by The Háttér Society, researchers found that more than half of queer youth and 37% of gender-expansive youth had been targeted at school due to their LGBTQ+ identity. Around 13% and 10% of these respondents, respectively, had been “hit, kicked, or wounded” due to their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Dudits said the bill’s passage would serve to “abandon” already vulnerable LGBTQ+ youth. “It would make programs and discussions promoting sensitivity and acceptance impossible,” he claimed in an email.
The crackdown on LGBTQ+ content in Hungary follows several recent controversies in the conservative Eastern European country. The publisher of a children’s book, Wonderland Is For Everyone, was forced to print warning labels last year informing parents that it contains “behavior inconsistent with traditional gender roles” after it came under fire by the ruling Fidesz Party. The book depicts a wedding between two gay princes.
The Fidesz Party, which is spearheading the propaganda law, also took aim at a 2019 campaign from Coca-Cola that depicted same-sex couples. Lawmakers called for a boycott of the company over the #LoveIsLove ads, which eventually resulted in a fine.
But the attack is just the most recent on Hungary’s LGBTQ+ community in recent years. Last year alone, Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government outlawed same-sex adoptions and prohibited transgender people from amending their legal gender. The gender marker correction ban, however, was partially overturned in court.
With the Fidesz Party controlling a parliamentary majority, the propaganda ban is very likely to pass.
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