A national bookseller in Hungary was hit with a hefty fine by the government over an LGBTQI+ graphic novel, with authorities saying it violated a law that prohibits the promotion of homosexuality to underage readers.
Hungary’s second-largest bookshop chain, Lira Konyv, must pay 12 million forints (€32,083.35) after it stocked copies of Heartstopper by British author Alice Oseman in its youth literature section. The book was not wrapped in neutral packaging, as is also legally required.
Hearstopper is described as an ongoing LGBTQI+ graphic novel and webcomic series. The plot is a coming-out romance story centred around teenage boys Charlie and Nick, who meet at an all-boys Grammar School.
The series was later adapted into a Netflix television series of the same name. It is highly praised in progressive circles and the novels’ and TV-series’ ratings on popular platforms such as Goodreads and IMDb also tend to be positive.
Conservatives have disagreed. At least two school districts in the US have pulled the books from the shelves of stores, while in Turkey, the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Services labelled them “harmful”, concluding that “some elements in the books might have harmful effects on the morality of those aged below 18”.
The government of Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán promotes a Christian Conservative agenda and opposes what it sees as any celebration of homosexuality or other gender-related issues that Western European authorities generally support.
Hungary’s Government seems to be in agreement with Orbán’s standpoint, stating it aims to “protect” its country’s children and its Christian culture.
The Budapest Metropolitan Government Office, which issued the fine, told state news agency MTI it had conducted an inquiry regarding the books.
“The investigation found that the books in question depicted homosexuality but they were nevertheless placed in the category of children’s books and youth literature and were not distributed in closed packaging,” the Budapest authority said.
It added that it had ordered Lira Konyv to ensure the “lawful” distribution of the book, saying officials “will always take strict action against companies that do not comply with the law”.
Since Hungary ratified a child protection law in 2021, the promotion of content relating to homosexuality in the media, on TV, in films, advertisements and literature that may be available to minors is no longer allowed.
LGBTQI+ content in school education programmes is also forbidden, as are public displays of products that depict or promote gender deviating from biological sex at birth.
Opponents say the Conservative government is stigmatising lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people with its policies. The issue has caused a rift between the more progressive European Union and Hungary and has led to an ongoing judicial dispute between the two. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called the Hungarian law a “disgrace”.
Ahead of an upcoming “Pride” march in Hungary celebrating LGBTQI+ people, embassies of the US, Germany and 36 other countries urged the government “to protect the rights of [such] people and scrap laws that discriminate against them”.
Together with 10 cultural institutions, they issued a statement saying: “We are concerned with legislation and political rhetoric, including in Hungary, that is in tension with principles of non-discrimination, international human rights law and human dignity, and contributes to stigmatisation of the LGBTQI+ community.
“We stress the need for leaders and governments, here and elsewhere, to show respect for and protect the rights of LGBTQI+ individuals and communities and to eliminate laws and policies that discriminate against them,” the statement added.
#Hungarian authorities issued a 12 million (EUR 32 000) fine on a book publisher, based on the homophobic „child protection" law.
Reason: stores displayed Alice Oseman’s Heartstopper in the youth section, and the books – that "depict homosexuality+ were not in closed packaging. pic.twitter.com/S0N6Q8JV8r
— Viktória Serdült (@viktoriaserdult) July 13, 2023
