Hungary Enshrines Only Two Genders In Constitution Despite Protests
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Hungary has adopted a constitutional amendment banning LGBTQ+ gatherings, including the annual Pride March while recognizing only two genders, “man and woman.”
The amendment, adopted Monday in a 140-21 vote with no abstentions, also bans “drug promotion,” guarantees the constitutional “right to cash” money, and enables the suspension of the nationality of Hungarian dual citizens if they are seen as “threatening Hungary’s sovereignty.”
Critics said the vote limits the rights of the LGBTQ+ community and others viewed as challenging the self-proclaimed conservative agenda of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, including critical journalists or human rights groups.
Orbán, whose right-wing Fidesz party is currently trailing in opinion polls behind a new opposition party ahead of next year’s elections, has denied wrongdoing.
The prime minister, who has been in power since 2010, said the measures aim to “protect children” and the nation’s “Christian” and “pro-traditional families” values.
Monday’s vote came after several thousand Hungarians tried to block the entrances to parliament in Budapest, and despite loud horn-blowing, the adoption of the 15th amendment to Hungary’s constitution, the “Basic Law,” was disrupted.
Police removed protesters who also attempted to block nearby bridges. Earlier over the weekend, some 10,000 Hungarians attended a cynical “Grey Pride” celebration of “sameness” in a Budapest gathering questioning Orbán’s policies. The rally was organized by the non-parliamentary Hungarian Two-tailed Dog Party.
CHRISTIANS CONCERNED
However, at least some Christians and conservative Hungarians told Worthy News that they support Orbán’s stance on “LGBTQ+ activism” because “it is harming minors.”
Previously, legislation adopted under Orbán’s rule already banned mentioning LGBTQ+ to minors at schools or other venues.
However, the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, a rights group, called the amendment a means of “legislating fear” in the European Union. “These laws represent a significant escalation in the government’s efforts to suppress dissent, weaken human rights protection, and consolidate its grip on power,” it stressed in a statement.
The opposition Momentum party highlighted similarities with restrictions in Russia.
As news of the Pride ban broke last month, 22 European embassies in Hungary, including those of Britain, France, and Germany, issued a joint statement saying they were deeply concerned that the legislation would result in “restrictions on the right of peaceful assembly and the freedom of expression.”
The EU’s equality commissioner, Hadja Lahbib, wrote on social media: “Everyone should be able to be who they are, live, and love freely. The right to gather peacefully is a fundamental right to be championed across the European Union. We stand with the LGBTQI community—in Hungary and in all member states.”
Although Orbán’s promoted amendment will make it more difficult for Hungary to unlock billions in frozen EU funds, the prime minister said Hungary won’t give in to “foreign interference.”
He has accused the new Tisza party of opposition leader Péter Magyar, which is leading in the polls, of colluding with the EU in Brussels to harm Hungary. Orbán is a close ally of U.S. President Donald J. Trump.
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