The EU has voted in favour of taking legal action against a new Hungarian law that aims to prevent the sharing of content that is considered to ‘promote homosexuality or gender change’ with under 18s. According to the BBC, the EU decided that the law breaches “EU values and principles”, with 459 members voting in favour of taking immediate legal action.
President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, described the Hungarian law as “a disgrace”, adding: “This legislation uses the protection of children as an excuse to discriminate against people because of their sexual orientation.” Despite the widespread backlash, prime minister Viktor Orbán has insisted that Hungary will not allow LGBTQ+ topics to be taught in schools.
The law officially came into action on Thursday July 8. One day prior, a publisher of an LGBTQ+ Hungarian children’s book was fined for not including a warning about the LGBTQ+ content. The publishers received a fine of 250,000 Florints (approximately £600), causing concerns about the implications of the new law for LGBTQ+ media.
