Hungarian Booksellers Fear Self-censorship as Decree Curbs Sale of LGBTQ-Themed Books
Voice of America
BUDAPEST - Book distributors and publishers in Hungary have raised concerns that a decree restricting the sale of LGBTQ-themed books could lead to self-censorship and make such items harder to obtain in smaller towns.
The government has ordered shops to sell sealed and wrapped all books aimed at under-18s that are viewed as promoting homosexuality or gender change, or which contain "explicit" depictions of sexuality. It also bans the sale of all such books, whether intended for children or adults, within 200 meters (220 yards) of a school or a church. The decree is part of an anti-LGBTQ drive that has set nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban at loggerheads with rights groups and the European Union.
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