Hungarian lawmakers approved an amendment to a bill Tuesday that defines gender as “sex from birth” and mandates the inclusion of biological sex on government documents. The legislation also stated that gender would be considered a biological attribute based on primary sex characteristics and chromosomes.
The amendment was part of a larger legislative package submitted by Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjen and passed by Hungary’s National Assembly, according to NBC News. The amendment was passed by lawmakers 134 to 56. It reflects the socially conservative policy agenda of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and the Fidesz party, which holds a majority of seats in the National Assembly.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (C) attends a session at the National Assembly (Laszlo Balogh/Getty Images)
The passage of the bill has led to outrage from various progressive groups and activists. The Transvanilla Transgender Association said in a statement “people are in a panic” and “want to escape from Hungary” because of the new changes. Krisztina Tamas-Saroy of Amnesty International Hungary said that the new law sends Hungary “back toward the dark ages.” Hungarian rights group Hatter Society called the move a violation of the “constitutional fundamental right” to change one’s gender, which has no actual legal basis in Hungary’s constitution.
Mainstream media outlets have frequently criticized Orbán as a dictator pushing a “far-right” or “alt-right” agenda, despite the fact that Hungary’s government was democratically elected, and left-wing journalists did not take kindly to the bill. For example, Owen Jones, a columnist at The Guardian and a socialist, referred to Hungary’s government as a “far-right dictatorship” that had declared “war on trans people.”
“You will not break this community. Trans people will not cease to exist just because you want them to.”
As the Hungarian far-right dictatorship declares war on trans people, an inspirational speech from @TerryReintke that everyone must hear.pic.twitter.com/3ebxW2JHfu
— Owen Jones says join a union???? (@OwenJones84) May 19, 2020
Orbán has previously taken steps to combat gender identity politics, such as his decision to ban gender studies programs at Hungarian universities in 2018. His conservative Fidesz party had also criticized Coca-Cola ads in Hungary that featured homosexual couples, with a senior official calling for a boycott against the company in 2019.
Orbán’s government has made it a priority to protect traditional values against groups that support progressive gender ideology in Hungary. This includes promoting specifically transgender identity politics. In particular, Orbán has taken action against non-governmental organizations and transnational groups led by George Soros, vowing to “preserve Hungary’s security and Christian culture.” (RELATED: EU Parliament Takes Unprecedented Step To Punish Hungary For Failing To Uphold European ‘Values’)
The ruling Fidesz party maintains a high level of support from the Hungarian people, with 54% of voters saying they would vote for the party and only 38% saying they would vote for the opposition.