The LGBTQ lobby feels targeted

Both domestic and international controversy erupted surrounding the Hungarian anti-pedophile legislative package. The LGBTQ organizations and their political supporters see the law as a targeted attack against the gay community. The international press is branding the law as discriminative and anti-gay; many politicians expressed their support for the Hungarian LGBTQ community. Brussels is also planning to take legal steps against Hungary. 

20210614 Budapest A pedofilellenes törvényjavaslat egyes módosításai ellen tartott demonstráció résztvevői az Országház előtti Kossuth téren fotó: Kurucz Árpád (KA) Magyar Nemzet Fotó: Kurucz Árpád

According to the English Daily Telegraph, the ban will again force Hungary to clash with Brussels, which has already expressed concern over Hungarian measures against the media and their violations of rule of law. The Voice of America news portal referenced a Tweet from German Foreign Undersecretary Michael Roth where he said that the Hungarian parliamentary decision is another serious discrimination against gender minorities and runs counter to everything that is considered common European values.

The European Parliament’s rapporteur on Hungary stated that the law violates European values by attacking LGBTQ rights on the pretext of protecting children. Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield called on Member States to question the Hungarian government at next Tuesday’s Article 7 hearing.

Pedophile-friendly alert

The Hungarian anti-pedophile law also stirred up emotions among the European left. A group of LGBTQ organizations in Brussels and members of the left-liberal European Parliament (MEPs) already held a “mini-demonstration” in front of the EP building in Brussels on Tuesday. Terry Reintke of the Green party, an old critic of the Hungarian government, and one of the EU’s leading fighters for gay rights, said: “The European Commission should severely sanction Hungary because MEPs expect this from the institution.”

The relevant spokesperson from the European Commission pointed out that the Commission is aware of the recently passed legislation and its repercussions.

“We are evaluating the legislation in detail,” said Christian Wigand, who believes the EU takes inequalities in the LGBTQ community very seriously.

Under pressure from liberal newspapers’ journalists, Dana Spinant, Deputy Chief Spokesperson at the European Commission, later spoke at the press conference: the Commission will share its views with the Hungarian and Polish governments on the matter, but this requires legally sound arguments.

Meanwhile, France and the Benelux states have also indicated that the anti-pedophile law will be discussed at the General Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg next Tuesday. Incidentally, there will also be a hearing during the meeting on the Article 7, so-called rule of law, affair.

Liberal Justice commissioner Didier Reynders disapproved of Hungary on Twitter yesterday for “censoring” LGBTQ content. As he wrote, the younger generations are indeed in need of that information which reflects a modern, open and diverse society.