Hungary repeals most of Orbán-era anti-LGBTQ child protection law

The Hungarian National Assembly voted to repeal most provisions of the controversial 2021 'child protection' law that banned the portrayal of homosexuality and gender nonconformity to minors in schools, media and advertising. The legislation was passed during former prime minister Viktor Orbán's tenure and had drawn sustained criticism from the European Union and human rights organisations, which argued it discriminated against LGBTQ citizens under the guise of protecting children. The repeal represents a notable reversal of one of the Orbán government's signature culture-war policies. The law had triggered years of legal and political disputes with Brussels, including infringement proceedings and funding disputes tied to EU rule-of-law mechanisms. It had also been a flashpoint in domestic politics, with LGBTQ rights groups and opposition parties long campaigning for its repeal. The parliamentary vote indicates a shift in the political calculus in Budapest, though the broader implications for Hungary's relationship with EU institutions and for domestic LGBTQ rights protections remain to be seen.