Intolerance in Times of Corona: Discrimination Against LGBTQ Community Heightens as Hungary Bans People From Legally Changing Gender

Amid COVID-19 crisis, the parliament in Hungary voted to stop transgender and intersex people from changing their gender on identity documents, "sex at birth" to be the defining gender for LGBTQ community

Published: May 21, 2020 1:12 PM IST

By Trending Desk | Edited by Zarafshan Shiraz

LGBTQ
Representative Image

In a case of insensitivity towards the already ostracised LGBTQ community, Hungary takes the backward route to ban people from legally changing their gender as per the latest law of the country. As per the reports, the parliament in Hungary voted to stop transgender and intersex people from changing their gender on identity documents.

In a statement published online, Amnesty International researcher Krisztina Tamás-Sáróy said, “This decision pushes Hungary back towards the dark ages and tramples the rights of transgender and intersex people. It will not only expose them to further discrimination but will also deepen an already intolerant and hostile environment faced by the LGBTI community.”

While 134 lawmakers voted in favor, 56 voted against and there were four abstentions recorded which led to “sex at birth” registered on a birth certificate, be the defining gender for LGBTQ community. This is not the first time that rash laws have been passed under Prime Minister Viktor Orban despite Hungary being a member of the European Union. Apart from the EU leaders warning that these will undermine the country’s democracy, Hungarian rights group Hatter Society too asserted that the law violated a constitutional fundamental right. The latter body pointed out how the law had been opposed by the European Parliament and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

As per a report in CNN, the LGBTI organizations were now requesting the Constitutional Court to review the law. However, in an emailed statement to the news agency, the government defended the law stating that it, “does not affect men’s and women’s right to freely experience and exercise their identities as they wish. In no way does the relevant section of the bill that some people criticize prevent any person from exercising their fundamental rights arising from their human dignity or from living according their identity, just as the state cannot normatively instruct anybody what to think.”

Also Read:

For breaking news and live news updates, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Read more on Latest Viral News on India.com.

By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts Cookies Policy.