Hungary passes chilling anti-LGBT+ law putting the UK’s Section 28 to shame

Lawmakers in Hungary have passed a bill that bans any discussion of LGBT+ people in schools and in the media, in an almost unanimous vote.

On Tuesday (15 June), the country’s National Assembly passed the legislation, an amendment to an anti-paedophilia law, in a 157-1 vote.

The bill was submitted to parliament last week by Hungary’s right-wing party Fidesz, led by anti-LGBT+ prime minister Viktor Orbán, which holds a parliamentary majority.

It was also strongly backed by the right-wing Jobbik party, which in 2012 proposed a bill to ban the “promotion of sexual deviations”, threatening those found guilty of prison sentences of up to eight years.

Just a single independent lawmaker voted against it.

The new law makes it illegal to depict or discuss different gender identities and sexual orientations in schools, and also bans any LGBT+ content in advertising or media which could be seen by minors. It also establishes a government-approved list of organisations which are allowed to provide sex education in schools.