Despite international and national protests, the Hungarian parliament passed a law yesterday prohibiting the subsequent change of the “biological sex” registered at birth and thus the legal recognition of the sex of transgender persons. The law violates a fundamental constitutional right.

The bill that Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén had submitted to Parliament on 31 March, the International Transgender Visibility Day, was actually adopted. On Tuesday afternoon, the Hungarian Parliament voted by 133 votes to 57 in favour of adopting the law, with a two-thirds majority of Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party being sufficient to push through the adoption despite opposition from other parties. The opposition parties tabled several amendments, all of which were rejected by the Fidesz-KDNP alliance.

In all legal documents issued in the country, i.e. identity cards, driving licences and passports, the “sex” will from now on be replaced by the “sex at birth” and may no longer be changed. Hungarian citizens* are therefore no longer allowed by law to have their sex legally changed, which is a significant restriction of the trans* rights.

The introduction of the law is just another example of Viktor Orbán’s homo- and transphobic political agenda. The human rights violations under his government are also reflected in this year’s ILGA-Europe Rainbow Map: While Hungary still ranked 9th in 2013 with 55 points, the country has since lost 22 points and dropped back to 27th place.

Hungary ranks 49th in the current Spartacus Gay Travel Index. Spoiler alert: This might change in 2021.

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