Hungary’s government orders disclaimers on books with LGBTQ content

Words: Jamie Tabberer; picture: The Hungarian Parliament Building, by Pixabay 

The Hungarian government has ordered a publisher to place disclaimers on books carrying LGBTQ content.

The move was prompted by a children’s book called ‘Wonderland Is For Everyone’, which features a doe who turns into a buck and a prince who marries a prince.

According to Reuters, the disclaimer must be placed on all content containing “behaviour inconsistent with traditional gender roles”, including ‘Wonderland Is For Everyone’.

“The book is sold as a fairytale”

“The book is sold as a fairytale, called so on its cover and designed accordingly, but it hides the fact that it depicts behaviour inconsistent with traditional gender roles,” the Government Office in Budapest said in a statement.

‘Wonderland Is For Everyone’, by lesbian group Labrisz, also features a character called Snow White who is renamed Leaf Brown, and a range of minority groups.

Labrisz and allied LGBTQ group Hatter say they plan to sue the government over the order.

The move is the latest in a long line of homophobic actions by Hungary’s right-wing government and the ruling Fidesz party. In December, it changed the country’s constitution to effectively ban same-sex couples adopting. In May, it passed a bill to ban legal gender recognition.

Hungary’s homophobic politics captured the world’s attention in December when anti-gay MEP Jozsef Szajer resigned after he was caught allegedly fleeing a gay orgy in Brussels.