Hungary to Enshrine Religious Gender Doctrine Into Constitution
Hungary to Enshrine Religious Gender Doctrine Into Constitution
(Bloomberg) -- Hungary’s government intensified its battle against what it called “modern” thinking by proposing legal amendments on marriage and adoption that cited divine creation.
Marriage must be between man and woman, and only people in such a union would be allowed to adopt children, according to legislation submitted to parliament on Tuesday by Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government. Though same sex couples have already been limited to civic partnerships and excluded from marriage, the proposed changes would take the European Union member state further into conservative territory.
Orban has spent his decade in office fighting the EU over the rule of law and what he portrays as liberal attacks on Hungary’s Christian values. These disputes have also affected the 27-nation bloc’s deliberations on its common budget and rescue fund.
The premier’s views recently attracted controversy when Hungarian far-right parties started a campaign against a children’s book that made references to same-sex couples and people of color. While “Hungarians are patient and tolerant” toward homosexuality, Orban said on public radio last month, the role of children remains a “red line that can’t be crossed.”
The latest constitutional proposal also cites “children’s right to an identity conforming to their birth gender.”
In a flurry of amendments tagged onto measures against the coronavirus pandemic, the government also sought to redefine the use and transparency of public funds, another key policy area under attack by the opposition and critics within the EU.
In one instance where the line between public and private funds has become blurred, the government has set up foundations to overhaul the running of universities. The central bank has also used an endowment to expand its influence in society. These foundations have come under scrutiny for financing programs that fit with Orban’s cultural agenda.
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