Hungary scraps key anti-LGBTQ rules from Orbán-era law
The vote removes restrictions on LGBTQ representation in media and other content accessible to children.
Hungary’s parliament has voted to remove major anti-LGBTQ provisions from a child-protection law introduced under former prime minister Viktor Orbán. The measure passed by 139 votes to 51, in the first significant rollback of Orbán-era LGBTQ restrictions since Péter Magyar took office.
The amendment removes provisions that prohibited the portrayal or promotion of homosexuality and gender diversity in material available to under-18s. The revised law instead focuses on content considered seriously harmful to a child’s physical, intellectual, emotional or moral development, regardless of sexual orientation.
The vote was expected to pass because Magyar’s Tisza party controls a two-thirds majority in parliament. Orbán’s Fidesz voted against the changes. Bence Rétvári, a senior figure in the Christian Democrats allied with Fidesz, argued that the amendment would allow what he called LGBTQ propaganda in schools and accused the government of responding to pressure from Brussels.
The original restrictions were added to Hungary’s 2021 child-protection legislation, which was presented by Orbán’s government as a measure against paedophilia. The law also restricted LGBTQ-related material in television, films, advertising, books and educational content aimed at minors. Critics said it conflated homosexuality with child abuse and encouraged discrimination.
The European Court of Justice ruled in April that the legislation breached fundamental EU rights. Magyar’s government has presented the amendment as an effort to bring Hungarian law into line with EU requirements, while also stressing that material involving sexual violence, manipulation or exploitation will remain subject to restrictions.
The change does not remove every measure affecting LGBTQ people. Restrictions connected to public assemblies, including rules used to prohibit Pride events, remain in place. Other provisions affecting legal recognition for transgender people and adoption by same-sex couples have also not been repealed.
That partial approach reflects Magyar’s political position. He campaigned primarily on replacing Orbán’s government and did not make LGBTQ rights a central election issue. Since taking office, however, he has signalled that some policies from the previous government may be revised, while avoiding a wider promise to dismantle the entire legal framework.
For the European Union, the vote is a test of whether a change in government can produce concrete legal reform after years of disputes over Hungary’s rule-of-law record. For LGBTQ organisations, it is a meaningful reversal but not a complete restoration of rights. The next question is whether the government will address the remaining restrictions or treat this amendment as the limit of its reform programme.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Parliament voted 139 to 51 to amend the 2021 child-protection law.
- The amendment removes restrictions on LGBTQ representation and promotion in content accessible to minors.
- Restrictions concerning Pride-related assemblies and some other LGBTQ rights remain.
- The government says the revised rules protect children from seriously harmful content regardless of sexual orientation.
- Fidesz opposed the amendment and criticised it as a response to EU pressure.
Left
Arguments The reform should be seen as a necessary correction to laws that stigmatised LGBTQ people and treated ordinary representation as a child-protection threat. The remaining restrictions should also be repealed, especially those affecting public assembly and family rights.
Values Equality, civil liberties, pluralism and protection from state-sponsored discrimination.
Consequences The change may reduce stigma and bring Hungary closer to EU rights standards, but partial reform could leave LGBTQ people exposed to legal uncertainty.
Centre
Arguments The amendment is a pragmatic attempt to comply with the EU court ruling while retaining safeguards against genuinely harmful sexual violence and exploitation content. The government should now clarify how the new standard will be applied and reviewed.
Values Rule of law, proportionality, child protection and institutional stability.
Consequences A clearer, content-neutral framework could reduce litigation and improve relations with the EU, provided enforcement is consistent.
Right
Arguments Parents and parliament should retain the strongest possible control over material shown to children, and elected national institutions should not be forced to dilute those protections by EU bodies. The previous law can be defended as a precautionary approach to children’s exposure to sexual and gender-related content.
Values Parental authority, national sovereignty, social conservatism and caution around minors.
Consequences Removing the specific LGBTQ provisions may weaken public confidence in child-protection policy and create pressure for broader cultural changes that many families have not endorsed.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Priya Shah — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The central event and vote are confirmed by two independent reports published on 13 October. Background claims about the earlier law, the EU ruling and the limits of the amendment are supported by the cited sources.
- confirmed Hungary’s parliament voted on 13 October to remove major anti-LGBTQ provisions from a child-protection law. — AFP and ORF both report the vote and its subject. source
- confirmed The vote passed by 139 votes to 51. — The vote margin is reported by AFP. source
- confirmed The amended law removes bans on portraying or promoting LGBTQ content to minors. — AFP and ORF describe the provisions being removed. source
- confirmed Orbán’s Fidesz voted against the amendment. — AFP reports that Fidesz opposed the amendment. source
- confirmed The original restrictions were introduced through a 2021 child-protection law. — AFP and AP identify the 2021 legislation. source
- confirmed The European Court of Justice ruled in April that the law breached EU rights. — AP reports the April ruling; AFP also refers to the judgment. source
- confirmed The amendment leaves restrictions on Pride-related assemblies and some other LGBTQ rights in place. — AFP states that assembly restrictions and other discriminatory provisions remain. source
- confirmed Tisza holds a two-thirds parliamentary majority. — AFP and ORF describe the government’s two-thirds majority. source
Editor's note
The parliamentary vote, margin, legal changes and remaining restrictions are supported by current reporting from AFP and ORF. The April European Court of Justice ruling is background confirmed by AP. The longer-term effect on EU funding and future reforms remains uncertain.Sources
More on this in other media
- ITV News — „hungary lgbtq rights”
- BBC News — „hungary lgbtq rights”
- The Guardian — „hungary lgbtq rights”