Hungary bars minors from World Press Photo exhibit due to LGBTQ+ images.
OAN’s Brooke Mallory
2:37 PM – Wednesday, November 1, 2023
This year’s World Press Photo exhibition in Budapest has prohibited entry for those under the age of 18 since the government of Hungary determined that certain images in the show infringe upon a “controversial” law that limits the content of LGBTQ+ publications.
Every year, nearly 4 million people from all around the world visit Hungary’s National Museum in Budapest to view the esteemed international picture show. Its goal is to provide a worldwide audience with visual coverage of significant events while showcasing exceptional photojournalistic skills.
However, a conservative Hungarian politician filed a complaint with the country’s culture ministry after seeing a series of five images taken by Filipino photojournalist Hannah Reyes Morales. The agency determined that the images violated a regulation in Hungary that forbids showing sexually explicit LGBTQ+ content to children.
From this point on, even if a minor were to receive parental consent, any child under 18 years old will not be granted entry to the photo exhibition.
The executive director of World Press Picture, Joumana El Zein Khoury, expressed concern at Hungary’s government’s targeting of a picture series “that is so positive, so inclusive.” One of the shows was being censored in Europe for the first time, she claimed.
“The fact that there is limited access for a certain type of audience is really something that shocked us terribly,” Khoury told reporters. “It’s mind-boggling that it’s this specific image, this specific story, and it’s mind-boggling that it’s happening in Europe.”
The decision to prevent children from attending the exhibition was the most recent action taken by the government of Hungary, which is led by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, to limit the availability of media, including books, films, television shows, and commercials, to minors that advocate or portray homosexuality.
The European Union’s Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called the 2021 child protection bill “a disgrace,” despite the government’s insistence that it is intended to shield children from what it refers to as sexual promotion.
Fifteen nations have filed lawsuits in response to the law.
The right-wing legislator, Dora Duro, who filed the complaint over the images, expressed her fury upon seeing the exhibition and refuted the notion that the government’s action curtailed press or speech freedom.
“How the LGBTQ minority lives is not the biggest problem in the world,” Duro told reporters. “What we see as normal, what we depict and what we convey to (children) as valuable influences them, and this exhibition is clearly harmful to minors and, I think, to adults too.”
Tamas Revesz, an organizer of Hungarian exhibits for more than 30 years and a former member of the World Press Photo jury, said that many of the images in the exhibition—including coverage of the war in Ukraine—are “a thousand times more serious and shocking” than Morales’ series.
He noted that thousands of Hungarian teenagers will no longer be able to view the World Press Photo collection, even the pictures that don’t have LGBTQ+ material, as students make up almost half of the 50,000 visitors to the show in Hungary each year.
“The goal of each image and each image report is to bring the news to us, the viewer, and a lot of reporters risk their lives for us to have that knowledge,” Revesz said. “Everyone is free to think what they want about the images on display. These pictures were taken without prejudice, and we too should take what we see here without prejudice.”
A request for comment was not answered by Hungary’s minister of culture.
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How does the Hungarian government justify their decision to limit access to the exhibition, and how do critics view these justifications in relation to Hungary’s international human rights obligations
Wrote Revesz. “By limiting access to these images, we are limiting the knowledge and understanding of the world for future generations.”
International human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have condemned Hungary’s decision to restrict access to the World Press Photo exhibition. They argue that it is a clear violation of freedom of expression and of the rights of the LGBTQ+ community.
Amnesty International’s Hungary researcher, Krisztina Tamás-Sáróy, stated, “Banning children from attending this exhibition sends a dangerous message that LGBTQ+ people and their lives are shameful, inappropriate, or unacceptable.”
The controversy surrounding the World Press Photo exhibition highlights the ongoing tensions between LGBTQ+ rights and conservative ideologies in Hungary. This is not the first time that the Hungarian government has enacted legislation that targets the LGBTQ+ community. In 2020, the country passed a law banning transgender and intersex individuals from legally changing their gender identity.
“The Hungarian government’s persistent attacks on LGBTQ+ rights are deeply troubling,” said Boris Dittrich, advocacy director of the LGBT Rights Program at Human Rights Watch. “These actions undermine the principles of equality, freedom of expression, and non-discrimination that are at the core of human rights.”
The Hungarian government defends its actions, arguing that it is protecting children from harmful content and that it has the right to determine what is appropriate for minors. However, critics argue that these measures are discriminatory and violate Hungary’s international human rights obligations.
The World Press Photo organization has expressed its disappointment with Hungary’s decision and hopes that the exhibition can continue to be a platform for dialogue and understanding through the power of photojournalism. World Press Picture executive director Khoury stated, “We hope that wherever we exhibit, we can contribute to the thought process and the understanding and tolerance of people.”
In the face of Hungary’s restrictions, World Press Photo is considering alternative ways to reach audiences, including online platforms and exhibitions in other countries that prioritize freedom of speech and expression.
As debates around LGBTQ+ rights continue to unfold, it is crucial to remember the importance of open dialogue, respect for diversity, and the power of visual storytelling in promoting understanding and empathy.
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