Hungary repeals anti‑LGBT measures from 2021 child‑protection law

Hungary's National Assembly voted to repeal provisions of the 2021 Child Protection Act that had stigmatized lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people by banning the portrayal or promotion of homosexuality and transgender identity to minors.

The amendments removed language introduced in 2021 under the Fidesz government which had restricted content on sexual orientation and gender identity in materials accessible to children. The change follows months of legal and political pressure from the European Union and rights groups that argued the law discriminated against LGBT people.

Reaction and demands from activists

LGBT organisations and human-rights activists welcomed the vote but urged the new government to go further and revise other laws from the Orbán era that they say continue to marginalise sexual and gender minorities. Rights groups said the repeal is a positive step but called for comprehensive legal protections and safeguards in education, healthcare and public life.

The decision comes after the April parliamentary election in which Viktor Orbán's Fidesz was defeated and Péter Magyar's Tisza Party formed government; the new administration has been working to roll back much of the previous government's legal framework. Lawmakers submitted the repeal package earlier in September and it was approved in the plenary session.

Observers note the move also responds to a April 21, 2026 ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union that found aspects of the 2021 law incompatible with EU law and requested Hungary to cancel those measures. EU pressure, together with domestic political change, helped create the conditions for Parliament to act.

Parliamentary sources reported the vote passed with the governing majority; officials said further legislative reviews are planned to ensure compliance with the EU ruling and to address other statutes enacted during the previous administration.

Photo: AP)