World
India
Hungarian lawmakers passed a sweeping constitutional amendment on Monday that effectively bans public LGBTQ+ gatherings, including Pride events, in a move widely condemned by rights groups as a major threat to civil liberties and democratic norms, The Guardian reported.
Backed by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his ruling Fidesz party, the amendment was approved with 140 votes in favor and 21 against it, the report said, adding that the latest changes effectively enshrine into Hungary’s constitution recent legal measures banning Pride events and restricting public expression of LGBTQ+ identities.
The amendment, the 15th to Hungary’s constitution since 2011, also introduces new powers allowing the government to suspend the citizenship of dual nationals—who are not from EU or European Economic Area countries—if they are deemed a threat to national security or sovereignty.
The government has claimed that the amendment prioritizes “the protection of children’s physical, mental and moral development” and formally recognizes only two sexes. But critics have argued that it serves to silence dissent and “scapegoat LGBTQ+ communities” ahead of national elections.
“These laws represent a significant escalation in the government’s efforts to suppress dissent, weaken human rights protection and consolidate its grip on power,” the Hungarian Helsinki Committee reportedly said, describing the legislation as a means of “legislating fear.”
Rights groups say the ban, the first of its kind in recent EU history, paves the way for increased surveillance, including the use of facial recognition software to identify and fine attendees of LGBTQ+ events. Activists have warned that this will force LGBTQ+ people “completely out of the public eye.”
“This government isn’t just dismantling democracy brick by brick, it’s now going at it with a bulldozer,” Bloomberg quoted Ákos Hadházy, an independent lawmaker and government critic, as saying.
Meanwhile, during a protest outside Hungary’s parliament earlier in the day, police physically removed opposition lawmakers and activists who had attempted to block access to the building using zip ties to bind themselves together, the report said.
According to the report, a joint statement by 22 European embassies in Hungary—including the UK, France, and Germany—has expressed deep concern that the legislation would result in “restrictions on the right of peaceful assembly and the freedom of expression.”
Despite the ban, organizers of Budapest Pride have reportedly vowed to proceed with this year’s march, scheduled for June 28.
ALSO READ: Explained: Why Meta Is Facing a Make-Or-Break Trial Over Instagram And WhatsApp
