Steven N.
The Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (TASZ) and seven of its civil partners appealed to the Constitutional Court in connection with the government’s “child protection” referendum, HVG has reported. The civil rights group wants to prevent a particular question relating to gender reassignment treatments from appearing on this or any future referendum.
TASZ recalled that four questions in what it calls a “homophobic and transphobic referendum” were approved by Parliament on Tuesday, but there is a fifth question that was not approved by the Curia, Hungary’s High Court. According to TASZ, the government hasn’t given up on this question and has taken the matter to the Constitutional Court for review.
Now the civil organizations want the Constitutional Court to rule that the single rejected question on the availability of gender reassignment treatments not be allowed to appear on any referendum.
The five-question referendum initiative presented by the government this summer was challenged by TASZ and other human rights organizations. The Curia eventually approved four questions, which were also passed by Parliament on Tuesday:
Do you support the promotion of gender reassignment treatments for minor children?
Do you support the display of media content showing gender reassignment to minors?
Do you support the unrestricted depiction of sexual-themed media content to minors that affect their development?
Do you support holding sessions on sexual orientation for minor children in public education institutions without parental consent?
In October, however, the Curia decided that it found the wording of a fifth question objectionable:
Do you support making gender reassignment treatments available for minor children?
Yet this court decision was not accepted by the government, which appealed to the Constitutional Court, claiming that his rights had been violated during the proceedings.
Amnesty International Hungary, Budapest Pride, Background Society, Labrisz Lesbian Association, Hungarian Helsinki Committee, Hungarian LGBT Association, HCLU and the Transvanilla Transgender Association are now requesting that the Constitutional Court reject the government’s motion and uphold the decision of the Curia, as they claim the judicial decision does not violate the rights of the government but protects the fundamental rights of the people and human dignity.
The Constitutional Court will first hear the government’s motion on December 7 concerning the fate of the fifth issue, TASZ writes.
[HVG]
