Hungarian MPs scrap Orbán's anti-LGBTQ measures

What the report says

Hungary’s parliament has approved changes to child protection legislation that remove language introduced in 2021 under Viktor Orbán’s government, which critics said stigmatized gay and transgender people. The vote was backed by Péter Magyar’s Tisza-led administration, which has a two-thirds majority and is using it to roll back parts of the previous government’s policy legacy. Fidesz and its Christian Democrat allies opposed the amendments.

The BBC reports that the earlier law had restricted references to homosexuality and transgender identity and affected areas including education and freedom of assembly. LGBTQ and human rights groups welcomed the latest vote, while also urging the new government to go further on wider equality issues. Those include legal recognition for same-sex marriage, adoption rights for same-sex couples, and the ability for transgender people to change names on official documents.

The move also comes amid broader political and financial shifts in Hungary. According to the BBC, Brussels has agreed to release billions of euros in EU funds after saying Budapest had addressed certain rule-of-law concerns. Separately, Budapest’s Pride march went ahead without restrictions this year after a previous attempt to block it. The BBC says the debate over child protection has become a major political issue in Hungary, with both Orbán and Magyar seeking to appeal to conservative voters while taking different approaches to LGBTQ rights.