Hungary Changes Constitution to Ban LGBTQ+ Events

Hungary's parliament has passed an amendment to the constitution that allows the government to ban public events by LGBTQ+ communities. Legal scholars and critics call Monday's decision another step toward authoritarianism as the populist government continues to restrict the rights of LGBTQ+ communities, the AP reports.

• The amendment passed along party lines, with 140 votes for and 21 against. It was proposed by the ruling Fidesz-KDNP coalition led by populist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, whom critics have accused of employing increasingly autocratic tactics during his latest 15-year rule.

• The amendment codifies a ban on public LGBTQ+ events including the popular Pride event that draws thousands annually to the capital, Budapest. It declares that children's rights to moral, physical, and spiritual development supersede any other fundamental right other than the right to life, including that to peacefully assemble.
• Ahead of the vote, opposition politicians and other protesters attempted to blockade the entrance to a parliament parking garage to prevent ruling party lawmakers from entering. Police physically removed the demonstrators, who had used zip ties to bind themselves together.
• Last month, Hungarian lawmakers passed a bill to ban Pride marches, which had been held in the country for the last 30 years. Authorities warned that facial recognition technology could be used to identify offenders, the BBC reports. The constitutional amendment codifies the ban.
• The new amendment also allows for Hungarians who hold dual citizenship in a non-European Economic Area country to have their citizenship suspended if they are deemed to pose a threat to public order, public security, or national security.

(More Hungary stories.)