© Associated Press
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Hungary’s National Electoral Commission on Friday approved the government’s list of LGBT issues for a referendum, part of what Prime Minister Viktor Orbán called an “ideological war” with the European Union.
Hungarians will be asked whether they support the conduct of sexual orientation training in schools without parental consent and whether they believe that gender reassignment procedures among minors should be encouraged.
Another question is whether content that could affect sexual orientation should be shown to children without restrictions and whether legal gender reassignment procedures should be explained to children.
The prime minister announced that the referendum would take place ahead of the spring parliamentary elections in Hungary, where for the first time six opposition parties are preparing to unite against the ruling Fidesz.
Nationalist Orban, who has been in power since 2010, has proposed a referendum on a new law passed in July that restricts school teaching on homosexuality and transgender issues.
Two-thirds of European leaders, the European Commission and the European Parliament have called on Hungary to withdraw the law as discriminatory and contrary to European values. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called him “shameful” and “disgraceful”.
Faced with a tough election next year, Orbán is increasingly seeking to promote a social policy that he says protects traditional Christian values against Western liberalism, Reuters reports.
The new provisions in the law on sex education have caused concern in the LGBT community, as they prohibit the use of educational materials that can be considered to promote homosexuality and gender reassignment. They are motivated by the government as a measure to prevent violence against children.
Several civil rights groups have criticized Orban’s reforms, and a national survey last month found that 46% of Hungarians support same-sex marriage.
Orban owes part of his campaign success to a hard line to stop migration. As this issue is not on the political agenda now, its focus has shifted to issues of gender and sexuality, writes Reuters.
A poll conducted in June by Zavecz Research found that Orban’s party had the support of 37% of all voters, while 39% of voters supported the joint opposition party list. Another Median poll gives Fidesz a bigger lead of 39% and the opposition 33% support.
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