A bill introduced in Hungary seeks to
prohibit transgender people from legally changing their gender.
Under the proposed bill, a person's sex
at birth would be recorded in the nation's civil registry, the
Guardian
reported.
On March 30, the Hungarian Parliament
approved giving Prime Minister Viktor Orbán
broader powers to combat the coronavirus pandemic. The
anti-transgender bill was introduced the following day as part of an
omnibus bill.
“The bill comes at a time when
Hungary – and the whole world – is preoccupied with the
coronavirus crisis,” said Hungarian LGBT rights advocate the Háttér
Society in a press release.
According to the Háttér Society, the
bill would violate rulings from the Hungarian Constitutional Court,
which has held that “the legal gender and name change for
transgender people are a fundamental right,” and case law from the
European Court of Human Rights, which is recognized by Hungary.
The Háttér Society said in its press
release that the bill would create greater inequality for transgender
people in Hungary.
“Legal gender recognition is the
baseline of the safety of transgender persons in Hungary,” said the
Háttér Society. “Without the ability to legally change their
gender marker, they face harsh workplace and healthcare
discrimination, have to explain themselves every time they present
their university degree, can be accused of stealing when they use
their credit cards and questioned whenever they use their ID to pick
up a package from the post office.”
As of Monday, Hungary has 1,458
COVID-19 cases, with 109 deaths, a relatively low number. But
neighboring Austria has nearly 14,000 cases with 368 deaths.