Hungary adjusts constitution to prohibit gay marches
(MENAFN) Hungary’s parliament has approved a constitutional amendment that reinforces a ban on public LGBTQ+ events, previously introduced in the country. Last month, Hungarian lawmakers voted to prohibit gay parades and grant authorities the power to use facial recognition technology to identify participants and fine them up to $500. This law, backed by Prime Minister Viktor Orban's ruling Fidesz party, aligns with Orban's "illiberal" government approach, which seeks to protect children from what he calls “the international gender network” and “woke ideology.”
On Monday, the parliament adopted a constitutional amendment to formalize the ban, with 140 votes in favor and 21 against. Prior to the vote, pro-EU opposition members and LGBTQ+ activists tried to block the entrance to the parliamentary parking garage to stop Fidesz lawmakers from entering, leading to police intervention and several arrests. Inside the parliament, opposition MPs used air horns to disrupt the proceedings, but the National Assembly speaker continued with the vote despite the protests.
David Bedo, an MP from the opposition Momentum party, argued that over the past 15 years, Orban and Fidesz have been undermining democracy and the rule of law, with recent actions accelerating this trend.
The newly passed amendment asserts that children's rights to moral, physical, and spiritual development take precedence over other rights, including the right to peaceful assembly. The constitution now also enshrines the idea that children must self-identify according to the sex assigned at birth, reflecting Hungary’s Christian cultural values. It further defines marriage as a union between one man and one woman and identifies the family as essential for the nation's survival.
Hungary had already banned LGBTQ+ "propaganda" aimed at minors in 2021, leading to legal action from the European Commission and the freezing of EU funds due to alleged human rights violations. Orban celebrated the amendment’s passing, stating that it protects children, affirms biological sex, and opposes foreign interference, emphasizing that “common sense matters” in Hungary.
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