With nearly all of the votes counted, Hungary’s child protection referendum showed overwhelming support in favor of proposals to restrict the promotion of LGBT content to minors, but failed to reach the 50 percent validity threshold needed to be binding, data from the National Election Commission showed.
After passing its child protection act last June, a wave of criticism hit Hungary from the liberal European mainstream media, prompting Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s cabinet to call a referendum on the issue, which was held this Sunday, together with the parliamentary elections.
The questions put to the electorate were as follows:
• Do you support the holding of sexual orientation lessons for minor children in public education without parental consent?
• Do you support the promotion of gender reassignment treatments for minors?
• Do you support the unrestricted introduction of sexual media content to minors that affects their development?
• Do you support the display of gender-sensitive media content to minors?
Despite all four proposals receiving a resounding “no,” with between 92 and 96 percent of those who cast their ballot against the moves that would threaten traditional family values, just 44.46 percent of Hungary’s 7.92 million electorate submitted a valid ballot on the issues, meaning the referendum result is not binding.
