Prime Minister Peter Magyar Repeals Hungary's Anti-LGBTQ Laws

Prime Minister Peter Magyar submitted a bill to the Hungarian parliament on Monday to revoke a ban on the promotion of homosexuality and gender transition to minors. The proposed legislation replaces specific bans on LGBTQ content with a general prohibition on materials that could seriously impair a child's physical, intellectual, emotional, or moral development, specifically targeting pornographic content and sexual exploitation.

This policy shift follows an April ruling by the European Court of Justice, which found that the 2021 restrictions violated EU treaty values regarding human dignity and equality. Magyar, who ended the 16-year rule of Viktor Orban in April, stated that the new rules will apply regardless of sexual orientation. He also announced plans to scrap 2020 adoption laws that effectively blocked same-sex couples by prioritizing married couples and requiring ministerial approval for single applicants.

Magyar argued that adoption decisions should be handled by child welfare professionals rather than politicians. Former Prime Minister Viktor Orban criticized the reversals, claiming the West is changing beyond recognition and that his previous measures protected children from aggressive propaganda. While the government is moving to align national legislation with European Union standards to repair diplomatic ties, it has not announced plans to legalize same-sex marriage.