Czech President calls transgenders 'disgusting' amid furore over Hungary's anti-LGBT law

While discussing a controversial new law in Hungary regarding LGBT content, Czech President Milos Zeman called transgender people "disgusting". In an interview with CNN Prima News, Zeman defended Hungarian PM Viktor Orban over the furious international reaction to the new law and said that interference in the internal affairs of any European Union (EU) country is a gross political mistake. He further went on to describe transgender people as “intrinsically disgusting” and added that he does not see a reason not to agree with the Hungarian PM. 

"I do not see a reason not to agree with him," Zeman said.

He later added: "I can understand gays, lesbians and so on. But do you know who I do not understand at all? These transgender people”. Zeman described transgender people as "intrinsically disgusting to me”. 

Clash over anti-LGBT law

Zeman’s comments came as a majority of EU leaders clashed with the Hungarian PM over the new legislation in his country that will ban showing content about LGBT issues to children. The law prohibits sharing content on homosexuality or sex reassignment to people under 18 in school sex education programs, films or advertisements. The government says it will protect children, however, critics say it links homosexuality with paedophilia. It will enter into force in 15 days.

The Hungarian PM has already ruled out withdrawing the law and insisted that it does not target homosexuals. However, a majority of EU leaders told Orban that the new Hungarian law goes against the 27-bloc’s fundamental values and further also insisted that discrimination must not be tolerated. Belgian PM Alexander De Croo told Orban that “Being homosexual is not a choice; being homophobic is”. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte in a strident remark suggested that the Hungarian PM activate the same clause in the bloc’s treaty that Britain used to leave if he is not happy with the bloc’s principles. Rutte even told reporters that for him, “Hungary has no place in the EU anymore”. 

Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, who is openly gay, said the Hungarian law further stigmatizes homosexuals and should be fought. EU leaders have called on Ursula von der Leyen’s commission, which watches over the respect of EU laws, to take the government in Budapest to the European Court of Justice over the bill. The commission has already taken the first step in legal action. Brussels sent a letter to Hungary’s justice minister seeking “clarifications, explanation and information” about elements of the bill. It said that some provisions appear to “directly violate the prohibition of discrimination based on sex and on sexual orientation,” and would put homosexuality, sex change and divergence from self-identity “on the same footing as pornography". 

(With inputs from ANI)