This a translation of a 444.hu article.
Last June, the Hungarian Parliament passed the infamous law which confuses homosexuality and pedophilia. One of the provisions of this law says that, apart from teachers working at the school, only persons and organizations listed in a publicly available, continually updated registry may hold sex education classes at schools. However, this list has still not been compiled, and Minister of Human Capacities Miklós Kásler has not appointed a person responsible for the registry.
Therefore, organizations holding workshops on sexual culture, sex life, sexual orientation, sexual development, the harms of substance abuse, the dangers of the internet and other forms of physical and mental health development do not know where to apply in order to continue their work at schools.
Boglárka Petrás from PATENT Association, an organization that helps victims of sexual and intimate partner violence, has told RTL.hu that without specific legislation, they do not know where they can get a permit to continue their workshops if those must be accredited. Their school program does not even include the topics – trans identities and different sexual orientations – that the government specifically wants to ban from schools; however, the law extends to all forms of sexual education.
In Petra’s view, the government puts the focus on the subject “Preparation for Family Life”, which is built upon taboos and abstinence. PATENT, on the other hand, would like to provide an opportunity for students to ask their questions without taboos and hopes to counteract the information coming from the media and porn. Thus, they will try to accredit their program, but also organize workshops as extracurricular activities for students..
The Ministry of Human Capacities refused to answer to RTL.hu’s question about when the ministerial decree is going to be published about the registration of organizations that are allowed to hold school workshops. The Government Information Center has only said that further legislation will only take place after the April referendum, which will cover the same topics enshrined in the ‘Pedophilia Act’.
Translated by: Rita Béres-Deák
