Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced that a referendum will be held in 2022 to tackle the country’s controversial anti-LGBT law.
Earlier, legislation was passed to prohibit sharing with minors any content that portrays being gay or transgender. The dominant conservative Fidesz party also successfully championed a law that makes it impossible for trans people to legally change the gender markers on their identity documents.
The law was heavily criticized.
For instance, the 27-member European Union (EU) argued it discriminates against LGBT people, and this contravenes the bloc’s fundamental values.
EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen described it as both “a shame” and discriminatory. “I will use all the legal powers of the EU Commission to ensure that the rights of all EU citizens are guaranteed,” she wrote on Twitter.
The EU Commission also launched an infringement procedure against Hungary on July 15, a month after the anti-LGBT legislation was passed, at the last session of parliament.
In defending the referendum, Orban stated that the EU Commission “abused its power” and “attacked Hungary” when it launched an infringement procedure against Hungary over a law banning the depiction of homosexuality.
The referendum will have five questions, i.e.:
- Do you support that children shall encounter sexual educational content that shows different sexual orientations without parental consent?
- Do you support that sex changing procedures shall be promoted to children?
- Do you support that such procedures shall be made available for children?
4 Do you support that media programs which influence children’s development shall be aired without restrictions? - Do you support that media progams which portray sex change shall be available for children?
