3 EU STATES HIT HUNGARY'S ANTI-LGBTQ LAW

Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg led the charge against Hungary's anti-LGBT law as European affairs ministers from the 27 EU countries met to discuss the rule of law. In total, 13 member states out of 27 voiced their disapproval of the Hungarian law, according to a Euronews report.

Last week, the Hungarian parliament passed a new law tabled by the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán that bans the portrayal of homosexuality and sex reassignment in school education material and TV programs addressed to people under 18 years of age.

The bill, approved during Pride month, was met with immediate condemnation from high-ranking officials of several EU countries and groups in the European Parliament.

The outrage over the Hungarian law was discussed by the EU Council on Tuesday afternoon, with the Benelux ministers gathering linked-minded countries in a critical statement against the legislation.

Following behind-the-scenes consultations, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Lithuania, Spain, Sweden, and Latvia endorsed the Benelux text.

"[The law] represents a flagrant form of discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression and hence deserves to be condemned. Inclusion, human dignity, and equality are core values of our European Union, and we cannot compromise on these principles," the countries said.

"Stigmatizing LGBTIQ persons constitute a clear breach of their fundamental right to dignity, as provided for in the EU Charter and international law."

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