The Hungarian parliament today passed a law banning all Pride parades in the country and allowing authorities to use facial recognition software to identify participants.
The law, backed by Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s Fidesz party and its coalition partner the Christian Democrats, was passed by parliament under a fast-track procedure after being tabled just a day earlier.
It amends Hungary’s law on public gatherings to make it a misdemeanor to hold or attend events that violate Hungary’s controversial child protection law, which prohibits “the display or promotion of homosexuality to minors under the age of 18.”
Under the new law, attending a banned event will be punishable by fines of up to 200,000 Hungarian forints (500 euros), which the state will pay to “child protection services.”
Authorities can use facial recognition tools to identify individuals who attend a banned event and punish them.
