Hungary Prepares for Vote on Constitutional Amendment Restricting LGBTQ+ Rights and Assembly
Hungarian lawmakers are set to vote Monday on a constitutional amendment that critics view as restricting freedoms of assembly and expression while further limiting the rights of LGBTQ+ communities in the country. The amendment, almost certain to pass with the two-thirds majority held by Prime Minister Viktor Orbรกn's nationalist Fidesz party, would constitutionally prohibit public events held by LGBTQ+ communities, including Budapest's annual Pride celebration that draws thousands of participants. It would also provide a constitutional basis for denying gender identities or sexual characteristics of minority groups and allow for the suspension of citizenship for some Hungarians deemed to pose a threat to national security or sovereignty. The amendment, the 15th to Hungary's constitution since it was authored and approved by the ruling Fidesz-KDNP coalition in 2011, strengthens a law fast-tracked in March that criminalizes holding or attending events that […]
