Hungary: LGBT Law Breaches International Human Rights Standards

Europe – A board of experts of the Council of Europe human rights body, Venice Commission said that Hungary’s law bans teaching about homosexuality and transgender issues in schools. The group said on Tuesday that the law is discriminatory in nature and violates international human rights standards.

The recent amendments to Hungarian legislation related to sex-education programs were passed in June this year by Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The recent amendments caused anxiety in the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) community and triggered strong criticism from the European Union (EU) as it banned teaching about homosexuality in schools.

Venice Commission on Hungary’s law

 The Venice Commission said that the recent amendments are not in accordance with international human rights standards. The law fails to ensure that children get access to non-biased education on gender identity and sexual orientation. The group further said in a statement that the law contributes to creating a “threatening environment” for the LGBT community. They can face discrimination and other students may feel uncomfortable around them. They further said that LGBT children can be subject to bullying and harassment in Schools.

Legal proceedings against Hungary’s government

The group said that the law was adopted “in a rushed manner, without consulting civil society and the political opposition.” The European Commission’s executive launched two separate legal proceedings against Hungary’s government over violation of international human rights standards and LGBT rights.  The Venice Commission said that gender is an important element of personal identity, and homosexuality, as a variation of sexual orientation, is protected under the European Convention on Human Rights.

According to Reuters, Prime Minister Viktor Orban is calling himself the defender of traditional Hungarian values or Christian values against “LGBT ideology” for the upcoming 2022 election. His anti-LGBT campaign started in July after the amendment to Hungarian legislation related to sex-education programs.