Orban initiates referendum on sex education

In Hungary, people are supposed to vote on a controversial homosexual law.

The right-wing conservative head of government Viktor Orban calls on the country's citizens to say a “common no”.

Budapest - Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orben has announced a referendum on a controversial law targeting non-heterosexual people.

Among other things, the law prohibits advertising in which homosexuals or transsexuals appear as part of normalcy.

The EU Commission sees it as discriminatory and has taken steps against Hungary.

Orban argues that the law allows parents to decide how they want their children to be sexually raised.

He accused the EU of demanding that activists from LGBT associations carry out sex education in Hungarian kindergartens and schools, "as is already the case in Western Europe".

Orban listed five questions for the referendum: Whether the Hungarians are in favor of minors being sexually informed without the consent of their parents, whether gender reassignments can be advertised in children and whether sex reassignment activities can be carried out in children.

It should also be asked whether children should be able to access media reports that can influence their sexual development, as well as media reports about gender reassignments.

Orban called on the Hungarians to say a “common no” to these five questions.

He cited the referendum of 2016, which was directed against the admission of refugees, as a model.

Back then, "Brussels wanted to force immigrants on us," Orban said.

“At that time we managed to stop it, together we will succeed this time too.

The 2016 referendum was invalid due to lack of participation.

A few hours before Orban's announcement, the government lifted the referendum ban that had previously been in force due to the corona pandemic.

dpa