Hungary’s parliament has passed a constitutional amendment allowing the government to ban public LGBTQ+ events, a move critics call authoritarian and discriminatory.

Proposed by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s ruling party, the amendment redefines children’s rights as overriding freedom of assembly and codifies laws banning events like Budapest Pride.

It also expands Hungary’s constitutional definition of gender to recognize only male and female, effectively erasing transgender and intersex identities.

Authorities may now use facial recognition to identify attendees at banned events, raising surveillance and privacy concerns, the Associated Press has reported.

Critics argue the measures target minorities to rally Orbán’s base ahead of the 2026 elections.

Written by B.C. Begley