Hungary’s parliament has approved a constitutional amendment that enshrines a ban on public LGBTQ+ events, reinforcing legislation passed earlier this year.
Last month, lawmakers voted in favor of new rules prohibiting gay pride parades and authorizing the use of facial recognition technology to identify attendees. Participants may now face fines of up to $500. The ruling Fidesz party, led by Prime Minister Viktor Orban, introduced the law as part of its broader effort to shield children from what it describes as “international gender ideology” and “woke influence.”
On Monday, the National Assembly adopted a constitutional amendment with 140 votes in favor and 21 against, officially codifying the ban.
Before the vote, pro-EU opposition figures and LGBTQ+ activists attempted to block access to the parliament’s underground garage by chaining themselves together with zip ties. Police intervened and removed several demonstrators, with some arrests reported.
Inside the chamber, opposition lawmakers used air horns to disrupt proceedings, but the vote continued regardless.
David Bedo, an MP from the opposition Momentum party, accused Orban and Fidesz of systematically eroding democratic institutions, claiming the process had accelerated significantly in recent months.
The amendment declares that a child’s right to moral, physical, and spiritual development takes precedence over any rights except the right to life, including the right to peaceful assembly.
Hungary’s constitution now explicitly states that the country protects a child’s right to identify according to their biological sex at birth. It also emphasizes Christian values and defines marriage strictly as a union between one man and one woman, framing the family as essential to the nation’s continuity.
Hungary previously outlawed what it labeled “LGBTQ+ propaganda” directed at minors in 2021. That move triggered legal action from the European Commission and led to the suspension of billions in EU funds, citing alleged violations of basic human rights.
Prime Minister Orban celebrated the latest amendment in a post on X, writing: “We are protecting children’s development, affirming that a person is born either male or female, and standing firm against drugs and foreign influence. In Hungary, common sense matters.”