Hungary’s Largest LGBT Group Pushes to Overturn Orbán-Era Gender Recognition Ban

Hungarian LGBT advocacy group Háttér Society has launched a campaign demanding the restoration of legal gender recognition in the country, with its petition now closing in on its target of 3,333 signatures. More than 2,800 people have backed the initiative so far, which calls on parliament to reverse provisions introduced through Section 33 of a 2020 law and establish what the group describes as a ‘quick, transparent and accessible’ procedure for transgender people to change the sex and corresponding name recorded in their official documents.

Section 33 of Act XXX of 2020, submitted under the Orbán government by then Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén, amended Hungary’s civil registration law by introducing ‘birth sex’ in place of sex. The law defines birth sex on biological grounds, determined by primary sexual characteristics and chromosomes, and stipulates that the registered information cannot be changed. In practice, that means transgender people cannot obtain documents reflecting their chosen gender identity.