EU Commission & Council Must Ensure EU Values Around Protection for Trans and Intersex People
Responding to news that Hungary had yesterday voted 133 to 57 in favour of an emergency bill rolling back protections for trans & intersex people, the Green Party has expressed extreme disappointment.
Roderic O’Gorman TD and Spokesperson for Justice & Equality:
“Hungary’s rolling back of trans and intersex rights is deeply worrying, and yet another illiberal and regressive step by the Orbán government. This comes just two days after the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia.
“Ireland can be proud of its recent record on LGBTI+ rights, but events in Hungary show that, even with the European Union, there are those that want to push back the advance of basic human rights. There can be no let-up in the fight against homophobia, transphobia and biphobia.”
The bill, which replaces the category of “sex” on the civil registry with one of “sex assigned at birth,” has been met with condemnation internationally. The European Court of Human Rights has consistently asserted that legal gender recognition is specifically protected by Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Grace O’Sullivan MEP and member of the European Parliament LGBTI Intergroup:
“We in the Greens/EFA group in parliament are working with the LGBTI intergroup to raise the issue with the Commission. We have consistently spoken out against the emergency law and asked that Hungarian governing party Fidesz be expelled from European Peoples Party.
“As we prepare here in Ireland for a curtailed Pride festival online this weekend, it’s shocking to consider the challenges facing our friends in Hungary. While we celebrate equality, rights, achievements and our collective pride over the coming days, let’s keep up the pressure to combat discriminatory practice and laws throughout the world.”
Green MEP for Dublin, Ciarán Cuffe said:
“The actions of Orbán and the Fidesz Party are in complete contradiction to everything that the European Union stands for and holds dear: the safeguarding of democracy, equality, peace, justice and cooperation.
“The Greens/EFA group has expressed serious concern for years now at the dismantling of democracy carried out by Orbán and the Fidesz Party. They are now using the Covid-19 pandemic crisis as an excuse to create a full-blown dictatorship, making Hungary the only EU country to be put under the exclusive command of the government for an indefinite period. It is crucial that the EU Commission and Council act to ensure EU values are upheld during the Covid-19 crisis.”