BUDAPEST, March 19. /TASS/. Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok has signed a bill adopted by the national parliament banning LGBT parades (the movement is recognized as extremist and banned in Russia), against the wishes of the EU leadership, with government information service Magyar Kozlony publishing the document signed by the head of state as well as parliament speaker Laszlo Kover.
On March 17, the bill, prepared at the government's initiative by the faction of the ruling party Fidesz - Hungarian Civic Alliance, was supported by 136 members of parliament, while 27 lawmakers opposed it. MPs from the opposition Momentum movement attempted to derail the vote, which was broadcast live on the parliament's website. They lit red and green firecrackers in the session hall, shouted to muffle the chairman's words, and then left the smoke-filled hall.
On Tuesday, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O'Flaherty expressed "grave concern" about the bill, which has sparked controversy among the Hungarian public, and urged Sulyok to veto it. The president, who is aligned on the issue with Prime Minister Viktor Orban, refused to do so.
Hungarian authorities stated that the new law, which amends the law on assemblies, aims to protect the interests of children. The document bans public events that "exhibit deviations from the gender identity someone is born with, sex change, or homosexuality." It prohibits gay pride parades and imposes a fine of up to €500 for violations.
In addition, the government has proposed a provision in the Hungarian Constitution stating that "the right of children to physical, intellectual, and moral development takes precedence over all other rights except the right to life." The country's basic law will also be amended to recognize only two genders: male and female.
Fidesz and its allies, the Christian Democrats, hold a two-thirds majority in parliament, making it likely that the constitutional amendments will be easily passed.
Representatives of the Hungarian LGBT community stated that they would not comply with the authorities' decision and would hold their parade as usual at the end of June on Budapest's main street, Andrassy Avenue, a UNESCO cultural heritage site. The capital's mayor, Gergo Karacsony, who was once elected as a candidate from the Democratic Coalition, along with all the country's left-liberal parties, has expressed support for the demonstrators and announced their intention to join them. They view the new law as a violation of the right to assembly and, more broadly, as an attack on civil rights and freedoms in Hungary.