Hungary’s Protection of Minors from LGBTQI+ Dogma Ruled Unlawful by E.U. Court

Hungarian legislation shielding minors from exposure to LGBTQI+ dogma violates European Union (E.U.) law and hurts respect for human rights and equality, the bloc’s court ruled Tuesday.

The European Court of Justice said Hungary’s legislation, first proposed in 2021 by the government of outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, “stigmatizes and marginalizes” LGBTQI+ persons and their feelings, and fails to uphold the E.U.’s prohibition of discrimination based on sex or sexual orientation, AP reports.

Hungary’s law specifically prohibited the display of content to minors that depicts homosexuality or gender change, while also providing harsher penalties for crimes of pedophilia, and had been challenged for some time by the E.U. and its courts.

The AP report notes the former Orban government argued its policies, including a more recent law and constitutional amendment that effectively banned the popular Budapest Pride event, sought to protect children from “sexual propaganda.” The report adds:

In its ruling,