European watchdog warns Hungary over possible rights abuses

Europe’s top human rights watchdog says recent laws introduced in Hungary that regulate marriage and gender identity risk discriminating against LGBT people

BRUSSELS -- Recent laws introduced in Hungary regulating marriage and gender identity risk discriminating against LGBT people and should have been put to citizens for public consultation before they were passed, Europe’s top human rights watchdog said Tuesday. Among other things, the changes to the Hungarian Constitution in December 2020 altered the definition of families to exclude transgender and other LGBT individuals, defining the basis of the family as “marriage and the parent-child relationship.” It declared that “the mother is a woman and the father is a man.” The Venice Commission – an advisory group on constitutional matters to the 47-country Council of Europe human rights body – said the Hungarian “Omnibus Act” could limit adoptions to heterosexual parents. “This constitutional amendment should not be used as an opportunity to withdraw existing laws on the protection of individuals who are not heterosexuals, or to amend these laws to their disadvantage,” it said in an analysis and opinion on the laws.