Hungary activists vow to resist LGBT law, symbol of EU rift

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By JUSTIN SPIKE

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Activists in Hungary erected a 10-meter-high (30-foot-high) rainbow-colored heart opposite the country’s neo-Gothic parliament on Thursday, vowing to wage a civil disobedience campaign against a new law that they say discriminates against LGBT people and that has raised questions about what values the European Union stands for.

The law, which came into effect Thursday, prohibits the display of content depicting homosexuality or sex reassignment to minors — but critics say its goal is to marginalize and stigmatize the LGBT community as the country marches steadily to the right under Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The law has drawn intense opposition in Hungary and from the EU and has become a significant battleground in the fight over what the bloc represents.

Orban and some other right-wing leaders of member states have been at the forefront of that fight, challenging the EU’s traditional “liberal consensus” by refusing to accept migrants, cracking down on media plurality and limiting the independence of their judiciaries.

At the Thursday demonstration, rights groups said the Hungarian law denies thousands of LGBT young people crucial information and support, and violates national and international human rights standards.



Activists pose for a photo after erecting a large rainbow-colored heart in front of the country's parliament building in Budapest, Hungary, on Thursday, July 8, 2021. The activists are protesting against the recently passed law they say discriminates and marginalizes LGBT people. (AP Photo/Laszlo Balogh)


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/hungary-europe-business-migration-laws-d887fd0a90b9641272ce377fe4804e89

[zipplewrath]

1. Brexit

This was one of the concerns about brexit. There were worries that countries would begin to get the idea that they could ignore the EU and do what they wanted.