LGBTIQ+ rights activists in Hungary have highlighted their opposition to the country’s new anti-gay laws by posing in front of a giant blow-up rainbow heart. The demonstration took place in front of the country’s parliament.
The new legislation, which came into effect Thursday, prohibits the display of content depicting homosexuality, gender fluidity or information about being transgender to minors.
LGBTIQ organisations in the country have vowed to stage civil disobedience actions and say they have no intention changing any of their programs.
“We think that the only path we can pursue is civil disobedience, and we will not change anything about our activities,” Luca Dudits, a spokesperson for Hatter Society, Hungary’s largest LGBT advocacy group, told The Associated Press.
In a resolution adopted Thursday, European Union lawmakers condemned “in the strongest possible terms” the new legislation in Hungary and said it constitutes a clear breach of fundamental rights. The politicians said it was not a “one-off” example, and rights in Hungary were slowly being eroded.
Hungarian President Viktor Orban dismissed the criticism from the EU.
Speaking to the BBC Thamas Dombos from the Hungarian LGBT Alliance said it was encouraging to hear the European Union taking a tougher stance.
“In the past ten years we’ve seen violations of fundamental rights, not just LGBTIQ people, but homeless people, Roma people, religious minorities – and the EU was standing aside and not doing anything about it, maybe some statements but not anything real. This time it seems there really is support for harsher measures.” Dombos said.
Dombos said the Hungarian leaders response to the EU where he claimed he had authority to act within his own country where he was elected carried little weight as he had not outlined a crackdown on LGBTI people prior to gaining power.
“He didn’t get this mandate from the people. Actually if you look at public opinion polls…the majority of people think that this legislation recently adopted is abysmal. It’s impossible, and it’s really restricting the rights of LGBTIQ people – which the majority of Hungarians do not agree with.”
Dombos said the Hungarian government was using LGBTIQ people as a “punchbag” to fight against to win an election.
OIP Staff
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