The Hungarian Parliament has just voted through new rules that would ban teaching of LGBTIQ education and literature, advertisements and other materials, deemed by the government to be promoting LGBTIQ rights, under the guise of “protecting children”. The ruling Fidesz party proposals echo similar legislation in Russia, aimed at singling out the LGBTIQ community. The General Affairs Council is due to discuss the ongoing Article 7 procedure for Hungary on June 22nd.
Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield Greens/EFA MEP and European Parliament rapporteur on the situation in Hungary, comments:
“Once again, Fidesz is using censorship to stigmatise and scapegoat LGBTIQ people. Attacking freedom of speech, the right to education and media freedom is an affront to European values and has no place in the 21st century. Using child protection as excuse to target LGBTIQ people is damaging to all children in Hungary. Children and young people need to be able to access health information and diverse media content to be able to develop informed opinions. Children need real protection from abuse with efficient public policies and not to be instrumentalised for other purposes.
“The Hungarian government must scrap this assault on fundamental rights. Any attempt to use child protection as an excuse to attack LGBTIQ rights should be addressed by other member states during the upcoming Article 7 hearings later this month.”