Hungarian court rejects anti-trans bill

A court in Hungary has rejected prime minister Viktor Orbán’s movement to ban trans people from obtaining ID documents which reflect their gender identity. According to Reuters, Section 33 was implemented last year, leaving trans people with ID documents which did not reflect their gender identity or chosen name. However, on March 12 the high court ruled that these regulations are unconstitutional.

The ruling means Section 33 cannot apply to any trans people who legally changed their gender before the regulations were first passed in May 2020. However, the process of legally changing one’s name and gender can take up to 10 years in Hungary. Tamas Dombos, a spokesperson of LGBTQ+ rights group Hatter, said the court’s decision was “encouraging”, but added there is still much more to be done.

Hungary has become one of the most hostile countries in Europe for the LGBTQ+ community, with a 2021 report from ILGA-Europe finding Hungary and Poland are becoming increasingly dangerous for queer people. During Orbán’s time in power, a handful of anti-LGBTQ+ laws have been implemented, including a December 2020 ban on same-sex couples adopting children. After the ban was passed, David Vig, director of Amnesty Hungary, said: “This is a dark day for Hungary’s LGBTQ+ community and a dark day for human rights.”