Overview
- The European Court of Justice, which ruled Tuesday, ordered Hungary to scrap its 2021 law that restricts LGBTQ content accessible to minors.
- Judges found, for the first time against a member state, a breach of Article 2 of the EU treaty on the Union’s values, along with violations of internal market rules and data-protection law.
- The court said the measures stigmatize LGBTQ people by treating their depiction as harmful to children and by linking them to pedophilia, which can fuel hateful conduct.
- The ruling enables the European Commission to seek fines if Budapest does not comply, increasing pressure on Péter Magyar, who is due to take office in mid-May, and compliance could help unfreeze EU funds.
- The case targeted a law that limited LGBTQ depictions in schools and media and was used to justify Pride bans and biometric policing, and it was brought by the Commission with support from 16 countries and the European Parliament.