Hungarian Family Policies from an LGBTQ Perspective

The new Basic Law of Hungary defines marriage and family on a heteronormative basis. This, along with other discriminatory laws, has prompted fierce responses from members of the Hungarian  LGBTQ  community. My paper – based on  ethnographic  interviews with members of the community, forum threads on LGBTQ websites and posts of gay, lesbian or queer bloggers – explores the main critiques the LGBTQ community expresses towards mainstream definitions of family and state policies. They most often challenge the heteronormative definition of family, the ban on same-sex marriage and on second-parent adoption in same-sex couples, as well as laws and policies that hinder same-sex couples’ access to parenthood. At the same time, they are not only critical of issues directly related to LGBTQ partnerships; many forum posters and interviewees express their concerns about problems like poverty or domestic violence, claiming that the state does not pay enough attention to these. In support of their cause, LGBTQ people refer to human and citizens’ rights, the example of ’the West’ symbolizing development, but even conservative arguments like pronatalism or the sanctity of marriage. I claim that sexual minorities are not merely passive victims of exclusionary policies and practices but active citizens who form their own concepts of family as alternatives to dominant discourses.

Released: Replika 85–86, 107–121.