Hungarys LGBTQ Law Found to Violate EU Human Rights Standards

European Court of Justice Rules Hungary Violated EU Law on Multiple Levels

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has issued a ruling stating that Hungary’s anti-LGBTQ legislation, introduced in 2021, breaches EU law on several levels. The court found that the Hungarian legislation contravenes Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union, which includes the rights of transgender and non-heterosexual individuals.

The legislation was initially implemented to address child abuse but was later amended to ban the promotion of homosexuality among under-18s. Critics had compared it to Russia’s gay propaganda law from 2013, citing concerns over stigmatizing LGBTQ people and equating same-sex relations with pedophilia.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban had defended the legislation at its introduction, claiming it aimed to toughen punishments for child abuse. However, the government continued to press the issue despite criticism.

In response to the ruling, incoming leader Peter Magyar has pledged to reset Hungary’s ties with the EU and unblock approximately 18 billion euros in frozen funds. Magyar’s victory speech included a statement that Hungary wants to be a country where “no one is stigmatised for loving differently or in a different way than the majority.”

The ECJ stated that Hungary cannot rely on its national identity as justification for adopting laws that breach EU values, including respect for human dignity and equality. The European Commission has welcomed the ruling, emphasizing that it is now up to the Hungarian government to implement the decision.

According to the court’s statement, the legislation “is contrary to the very identity of the Union as a common legal order in a society in which pluralism prevails.”

Source: Al Jazeera