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BUDAPEST, Hungary – The Hungarian parliament enacted a constitutional change on Monday, empowering the government to prohibit public gatherings organized by LGBTQ communities. This action has been denounced by legal experts and critics as another stride towards authoritarianism under the leadership of the populist administration.
Constitutional Amendment Restricts LGBTQ+ Public Events in Hungary
The contentious amendment, requiring a two-thirds majority, was approved along party lines with 140 affirmative votes and 21 dissenting. The proposal originated from the ruling Fidesz-KDNP coalition, spearheaded by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
Leading up to the decisive vote, opposition figures and demonstrators attempted to obstruct access to the parliament’s parking facility. Law enforcement officials dispersed the protestors, some of whom had fastened themselves together using zip ties.
The ratified amendment asserts that children’s entitlement to moral, physical, and spiritual growth takes precedence over all other rights, excluding solely the right to life, thereby encompassing the right to peaceful assembly. This development builds upon Hungary’s existing “child protection” statutes, which already forbid the “display or endorsement” of homosexuality to individuals under 18 years of age.
This constitutional alteration formalizes legislation, rapidly advanced through parliament in March, effectively banning LGBTQ public events, notably including the prominent Budapest Pride, an annual event attracting thousands of participants.
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Furthermore, the legislation permits authorities to employ facial recognition technology to identify attendees of restricted gatherings, such as Budapest Pride, potentially leading to fines reaching 200,000 Hungarian forints (approximately $546 USD).
Dávid Bedő, a legislator from the opposition Momentum party who participated in the attempted blockade, stated prior to the vote that Prime Minister Orbán and Fidesz have been systematically “dismantling democracy and the rule of law” for the past fifteen years, with this process accelerating in recent months.
He suggested that with elections approaching in 2026 and Orbán’s party experiencing reduced popularity in opinion polls against a rising opposition challenger, “they will employ every means at their disposal to retain power.”
In a move of protest, opposition parliamentarians utilized air horns to disrupt the voting process, which nevertheless proceeded after a brief interruption.
The Hungarian government has intensified its campaign against LGBTQ communities in recent years. It defends its “child protection” measures, which restrict minors’ access to any material referencing homosexuality, as necessary to shield children from what it characterizes as “woke ideology” and “gender madness.”
Conversely, critics argue that these measures offer minimal protection to children and are strategically employed to divert attention from more pressing national issues and to mobilize Orbán’s right-leaning voter base in advance of upcoming elections.
Dánel Döbrentey, a legal expert with the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union, dismissed the government’s initiative, stating, “This entire undertaking launched by the government has absolutely no connection to children’s rights,” labeling it as “pure propaganda.”
Constitution Formally Defines Sexes as Binary
The newly adopted constitutional amendment further declares the constitution’s recognition of only two sexes, male and female. This expands upon a previous amendment that restricted same-sex adoption by defining a mother as a woman and a father as a man.
This declaration furnishes a constitutional justification for denying the gender identities of transgender individuals and disregarding the existence of intersex individuals, who are born with sexual traits that do not conform to binary male and female classifications.
In a public statement released on Monday, government spokesperson Zoltán Kovács asserted that the modification is “not an assault on individual self-expression, but a clarification that legal standards are rooted in biological reality.”
However, Döbrentey, the legal expert, interpreted the amendment as “a clear signal” directed at transgender and intersex people: “It is unequivocally, purely, and strictly intended to humiliate individuals and exclude them, not only from the national community but even from the community of human beings.”
This amendment marks the 15th alteration to Hungary’s foundational constitution since Orbán’s political party unilaterally drafted and ratified it in 2011.
Concerns Raised Over Facial Recognition Use at Protests
Ádám Remport, a legal professional also with the HCLU, clarified that while Hungary has utilized facial recognition technologies since 2015 to aid law enforcement in criminal investigations and locating missing persons, the recent legislation impacting Pride events broadens the application of this technology in a significantly more concerning manner. This now includes surveillance and deterrence of political demonstrations.
“One of the primary concerns is its invasiveness, the sheer magnitude of intrusion that occurs when mass surveillance is applied to a crowd,” Remport emphasized.
“More importantly in this context is the consequence on the freedom of assembly, specifically the chilling effect that arises when individuals fear expressing their political or ideological convictions in public due to apprehension of potential persecution,” he added.
Citizenship Suspension Powers Expanded
The constitutional amendment endorsed on Monday also introduces provisions allowing for the suspension of Hungarian citizenship for up to ten years for dual citizens holding nationality in a non-European Economic Area country, should they be deemed a threat to public order, public safety, or national security.
Hungary has recently implemented various measures aimed at safeguarding its national sovereignty from perceived foreign influence seeking to manipulate its internal politics or even destabilize Orbán’s government.
Prime Minister Orbán, who describes himself as an “illiberal” leader, has intensified his long-standing efforts to suppress dissenting voices, including media organizations and civil rights and anti-corruption groups. He alleges these entities undermine Hungary’s sovereignty by accepting financial support from international donors.
In a discourse delivered in March, characterized by conspiracy theories, Orbán likened individuals associated with such organizations to pests, pledging to “eliminate the entire shadow army” of foreign-funded “politicians, judges, journalists, pseudo-NGOs, and political activists.”