Hungary votes to end legal recognition of trans people [View all]
Source: The Guardian
Hungary votes to end legal recognition of trans people
Activists say new law will increase discrimination, especially as Hungarians must often display their ID cards
Shaun Walker in Budapest
Tue 19 May 2020 16.37 BST
Last modified on Tue 19 May 2020 16.46 BST
Hungarys parliament has voted to end legal recognition for trans people, passing a bill that rights activists say pushes the country back towards the dark ages.
The new law defines gender as based on chromosomes at birth, meaning previous provisions whereby trans people could alter their gender and name on official documents will no longer be available.
The votes of rightwing prime minister Viktor Orbáns Fidesz party pushed the legislation through by 134 to 56, with four abstentions. It is likely to be signed into law by the president, János Áder, a close ally of Orbán.
Although Orbán passed a bill during the coronavirus pandemic to allow him to rule indefinitely by decree, the transgender bill was part of a larger package of legislation that went through parliament in the normal way. It was proposed by the deputy prime minister on 31 March, International Transgender Day of Visibility, and amendments submitted by opposition parties were discarded one by one on Tuesday.
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Read more:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/19/hungary-votes-to-end-legal-recognition-of-trans-people