Hungary Joins New Government to Amend Controversial LGBTQ Law
- Hungary’s new government submitted a legislative proposal to overhaul a controversial LGBTQ law enacted by the previous administration under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
- Under the newly introduced text, Hungarian lawmakers seek to replace broad bans on LGBTQ-related content with general restrictions targeting media that could seriously impair the physical, mental, emotional,...
- The legislative overhaul follows a significant political transition in Budapest.
Hungary’s new government submitted a legislative proposal to overhaul a controversial LGBTQ law enacted by the previous administration under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. The drafted changes aim to remove specific provisions from the country’s child protection framework that previously prohibited the promotion and depiction of homosexuality for minors in media such as films and television.
Legislative Changes to the Child Protection Framework
Under the newly introduced text, Hungarian lawmakers seek to replace broad bans on LGBTQ-related content with general restrictions targeting media that could seriously impair the physical, mental, emotional, or moral development of children. The original 2021 legislation, championed by Orbán’s administration, barred individuals under 18 from receiving information regarding homosexuality or gender reassignment, required books featuring such themes to be sold in protective wrapping, and attempted to restrict Pride events. The European Court of Justice ruled in April that the 2021 child protection law violated European Union law. Following that legal defeat and a shift in national leadership, Prime Minister Péter Magyar stated that his administration will maintain strict oversight on media accessibility. Magyar asserted that the government will act strictly against content accessible to minors that promotes sexual violence, manipulation, and exploitation, while emphasizing that these new guidelines remain independent of sexual orientation to comply with EU regulations.
Political Shift Following the April Elections
The legislative overhaul follows a significant political transition in Budapest. Magyar’s conservative TISZA Party secured a two-thirds majority in the April parliamentary elections, unseating Orbán’s right-nationalist government, which had held power since 2010. While Magyar largely avoided addressing LGBTQ rights directly during the election campaign, members of the community anticipated reforms after his victory. In addition to the media and child protection amendments, Magyar indicated that his administration plans to review a separate 2020 adoption law that currently excludes same-sex couples. Despite past government efforts to curtail LGBTQ visibility—including attempts to ban Budapest Pride, which instead drew hundreds of thousands of participants in 2025 as an anti-government demonstration—the current parliamentary majority has initiated formal steps to realign Hungarian statute with European legal standards.
