• Urgent Action

Urgent Action: Protect Transgender and Intersex People’s Rights (Hungary: UA 92.20)

May 29, 2020

On 28 May Hungary’s President signed a new law adopted by parliament on 19 May and whose Article 33 bans legal gender recognition for transgender and intersex people in violation of their human rights. Hungary’s Commissioner for Fundamental Rights must now urgently stop this law by requesting a review by the Constitutional Court. If the Commissioner fails to act quickly, the ban will be a flagrant attack on transgender and intersex people’s rights and will legitimize an increase of attacks and hate crimes against them.

TAKE ACTION:
  1. Write a letter in your own words or using the sample below as a guide to one or both government officials listed. You can also email, fax, call or Tweet them.
  2. Click here to let us know the actions you took on Urgent Action 92.20. It’s important to report because we share the total number with the officials we are trying to persuade and the people we are trying to help.
Dr. Ákos Kozma Commissioner for Fundamental Rights Due to postal restrictions caused by COVID-19, please only send physical mail to the Embassy Email: [email protected]
Ambassador László Szabó Embassy of Hungary 3910 Shoemaker St. NW, Washington DC 20008 Phone: 202 362 6730 I Fax: 202 966 8135 Email: [email protected] Twitter: @HungaryinUSA Facebook: @HunEmbassy.Washington Salutation: Dear Ambassador
Dear Commissioner for Fundamental Rights, I am writing to you concerning Act XXX of 2020 on Changes of Certain Administrative Laws and Free Donation of Property that was adopted by Parliament on 19 May and signed into law by the President on 28 May and whose Article 33 bans legal gender recognition, violating the human rights of transgender and intersex people. These provisions are in breach of Hungary’s obligations under international human rights law and also violate Article II, VI (1) and XV (2) of the Fundamental Law of Hungary. Besides violating the human rights of transgender and intersex people, this law will lead to further discrimination and increase the risk of attacks and hate crimes against transgender and intersex people. Individuals should be able to obtain legal gender recognition through quick, accessible and transparent procedures on the basis of their self-declaration of gender identity. Furthermore, Hungary must ensure that transgender and intersex people can obtain documents by the State and other official institutions reflecting their name and gender identity without being required to satisfy criteria that in themselves violates their human rights. In light of the above, I am urging you to immediately request a review of Act XXX of 2020 by the Constitutional Court, as its Article 33 is in clear breach of Hungary’s Fundamental Law. I appreciate your attention to this urgent matter. Yours sincerely, ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
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