Luxembourg’s prime minister, Xavier Bettel, made a stand for LGBTQ rights at the European Union’s parliament by calling out Hungary for implementing anti-LGBTQ laws.
According to AP, Bettel has been prime minister of Luxembourg since 2013 and has championed LGBTQ+ rights during his term as one of the first openly gay prime ministers in Europe. At the EU Parliament meeting, Bettel said “If there’s anyone in this house who thinks that you’ve become a homosexual by watching the television or listening to a song, then you’ve not understood anything.”
He also expressed his disdain for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s dated views stating “I am ashamed, Madam President, that some colleagues want to win votes at the expense of minorities.”
Hungary put forward an anti-LGBTQ+ law titled the Child Protection Act in 2021 that prohibits content concerning sexual or gender identity in media and advertising. AP reports that “it also banned information on homosexuality in school sex education programs.”
In early April, Hungary approved a law that would allow its citizens to report same-sex families with children to authorities. In response, France, Germany and 13 other countries filed a lawsuit against Hungary for its discriminatory laws. The prime minister of the Netherlands even suggested that Hungary be removed from the European Union. Hungary has stated it will fight in the EU Court of Justice to maintain its hateful laws.
