Hungary lawmakers lifted restrictions on LGBTQ rights introduced by Orbán

 

Hungary lawmakers have voted to remove anti-LGBTQ provisions from a 2021 “child protection” law adopted under former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

By a 139-51 margin, the Hungarian parliament passed a bill retaining protections against material that can “seriously impair the child’s physical, intellectual, emotional, or moral development.” 

But the amended law removes bans on the “portrayal” or “promotion” of sexual or gender diversity. The term “promotion” was ill-defined and interpreted broadly under the Orbán regime.

The vote marks the first significant reversal of the Orbán regime’s efforts to crack down on LGBTQ visibility. Prime Minister Péter Magyar won a landslide victory in April, ending 16 years of rule by Orbán’s Fidesz party.