Hungarian lawmakers approved an amendment removing anti-LGBTQ+ provisions from a 2021 child protection law adopted under former leader Viktor Orban. Passed by 139 votes to 51, the measure represents the first significant reversal of Orban's restrictions targeting the LGBTQ+ community since Prime Minister Peter Magyar took office in May. Rather than banning material for children that depicts or promotes sexual and gender diversity, the revised legislation will target material capable of seriously harming the physical, intellectual, emotional, or moral development of those under 18.
Magyar, whose April election victory ended Orban's 16 years in power, said the amendment would align Hungary with European Union requirements. In April, the European Court of Justice ruled that the 2021 legislation violated the EU's fundamental identity. Although Magyar had not addressed LGBTQ+ rights during his campaign, he subsequently signaled openness to revising some earlier policies. Before the vote, he framed the amendment as stronger child protection regardless of sexual orientation. Fidesz opposed the proposal, accusing the government of weakening the law under EU pressure, but Tisza's two-thirds parliamentary majority ensured passage without opposition support.
The EU welcomed the vote as evidence of commitment to shared values. Tamas Dombos of the Hatter Society rights group called the removal of content restrictions a positive step, while emphasizing that substantial work remained. Restrictions on legal gender recognition for transgender people and adoption by same-sex couples persist. Human Rights Watch also noted that the amendment left discriminatory constitutional language and assembly restrictions used to prohibit Pride events intact.
