Hungary's Far-Right Government Has Changed The Constitution To Ban All LGBTQ Public Events
The amendment also declares that people can only be male or female.
Hungary’s parliament has changed the country’s constitution to ban public events held by the LGBTQ community and declare that people can only be male or female.
The government, led by far-right prime minister Viktor Orbán, had already passed a law in March that banned all LGBTQ public events and parades, including Budapest’s annual Pride parade, which draws thousands of people each year.
On Monday, April 14, the parliament passed an amendment to formally add the ban to the constitution, along with the legal definition that people can only be male or female.
The amendment declares that a child’s right to moral, physical and spiritual development takes precedence over all other rights, except the right to life, according to the AP.
It also incorporates a law that bans LGBTQ content for children.
It also allows authorities to use facial recognition technology to identify and fine people who participate in LGBTQ events.
Before the final vote, opposition politicians tried to block the entrance to the parliament’s parking garage in protest, according to the AP.
Some tied themselves together with zip ties, but police came and removed them.
Opposition lawmakers even tried to interrupt the vote by blowing air horns, but the vote continued after a brief pause.
Rights groups have slammed the move as another step toward authoritarianism by Orban’s government, which has cracked down on LGBTQ rights since taking power.
In 2020, it passed a law making it impossible for people in Hungary to change their gender and amended the constitution to stop same-sex couples from adopting children.
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Isha Jain
Sofia Hou
