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Thousands of people protest against the Orbán government with rainbow flags in Budapest
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MARTON MONUS / REUTERS
Thousands of people demonstrated in front of the parliament in Budapest on Monday evening against a planned law that would restrict the information rights and protection of homosexual and transsexual youth.
Human rights organizations and associations of the LGBT community called for the rally.
The English abbreviation LGBT stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.
The participants waved numerous rainbow flags, which stand for tolerance and diversity of life.
The speakers asked for the draft law to be withdrawn (you can find it here).
The right-wing majority in parliament is expected to approve it this Tuesday.
The right-wing national prime minister Viktor Orbán recently campaigned "to protect our children".
Certain advertising should also be banned
The planned law provides for a ban on books, films and other "content" that are accessible to children and young people and in which sexuality is presented that differs from that of heterosexuals. In addition, any type of advertising in which homosexuals or transsexuals appear as part of normalcy should be banned. Critics see this as an effort to introduce censorship against sexual minorities based on the Russian model in the EU country Hungary.
The provisions are part of a legislative package that also provides for stricter penalties for sexual violence against children and young people.
Among other things, the package is also intended to protect the “right of children to their gender identity received at birth”.
The participants in the protest refused to allow homosexuality to be equated with sexual violence against children in this way.
In December last year, the Orbán government had already excluded homosexuals from the right to adopt.
ngo / dpa
