AUTHOR: Sara B. Gero
Four years ago, in 2021, Hungary passed its ‘Child Protection Law’, which was also nicknamed as the Pedophile Law by government officials, and as ‘Propaganda Law’ by NGOs. This legislative package outlaws the portrayal of different sexual orientations, sex characteristics and gender identities in the media, and in schools and churches, as well as near these establishments. In March of 2025, the government introduced further restrictions. By amending the Act on the Right of Assembly, the Hungarian government has effectively banned Pride as, according to them, it violates the aforementioned Propaganda Law by “depicting or promoting” homosexuality to children.
This turn of events was not a surprising one given the government’s attacks on both core democratic values and the LGBTQ+ community over the last decade. From the criminalization of homelessness to the constitutional amendment that outlawed gender non-conforming identities, this is just one more step in the dismantling of rule of law in the country. According to this new law, those who attend Pride may be punished by a fine of up to 500 Euros, which is about 200.000 HUF, and are planning to use facial recognition software to identify those attending. It remains to be seen whether it will actually be enforced, especially given the ongoing protests, but the situation looks quite bleak at the moment.
The Propaganda Law
The Propaganda Law aims to limit access to content that depicts or discusses issues concerning gender identity and sexual orientation. It also instructs retailers to only sell children’s products, such as books, featuring LGBTQ+ themes and characters in “sealed packaging” and completely prohibits the sale of these within 200 meters of any school or Church. This clearly violates the right to freedom of expression, as well as the right to be free from discrimination. Furthermore, the severity of sanctions permitted under this law, which range from high fines to closure of shops, creates an environment prone to self-censorship. This self-censorship was exacerbated after one of the larger book retailers in Hungary was fined over 30.000 Euros for selling the book ‘Heartstopper’ by Alice Oseman without plastic wrapping. Other fines include 1400 euros for Coca-Cola for a billboard campaign that featured same-sex couples and another fine against the same bookshop for selling the book ‘Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls’ by Francesca Cavallo and Elena Favilli.
The Pride Ban
As mentioned previously, the new law modifies the Act on the Right of Assembly by making it a crime to hold, and an offence to attend, events that violate Hungary’s Propaganda Law. It was submitted in the Hungarian Parliament in the middle of March and rushed through an expedited procedure, with the President signing it into law on the 18th of March and it taking effect on the 15th of April. Attendees of Pride may be fined up to 500 EUR, and the government plans to enforce this through the use of facial recognition software.
The Pride Ban is clearly in violation of the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, as well as the right to privacy. All of which are protected under both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as well as the European Convention on Human Rights. It also further entrenched harmful stereotypes and discrimination against LGBTQ+ people, both of which have already been rampant in Hungarian society and media. This is exemplified by the case where government aligned media stigmatized the Labrisz Lesbian Association by labelling them as a “paedophile organisation” for publishing a children’s book in 2020.
International Response
The Director of Amnesty International Hungary has called this recent amendment a “full-frontal attack” on the community, and has called on the President not to sign the legislative proposal. The European Union has also made their disapproval of the law clear. Despite this, as mentioned previously, President Tamas Sulyok did not hesitate to sign the bill into law.
Sources of the article:
https://www.amnesty.hu/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/From_Freedom_to_Censorship_EN.pdf
Source of the picture:
https://apnews.com/article/orban-government-ban-lgbtq-pride-hungary-d003f20c8444a8611c5cc9db08dc0352