Hungarian Gay Couple Anticipates Adoption Breakthrough Under New PM
Hope for LGBTQ Adoption Rights in Hungary
By Krisztina Fenyo and Gergely Szakacs
Background: Adoption Laws and LGBTQ Rights
BUDAPEST, Sept 18 (Reuters) - A Hungarian gay couple who have been trying to adopt for years are hoping for a change in fortune after Prime Minister Peter Magyar started to roll back some curbs on LGBTQ rights enacted under right-wing former leader Viktor Orban.
Adoption by gay and lesbian couples had been possible in Hungary, a European Union member state, if one partner applied as a single person.
Restrictions Under Orban's Government
But under a law passed by Orban's Fidesz party in 2020, single people had to have their adoption requests approved by the family affairs minister, which has amounted to a ban.
On Saturday, Magyar, who ousted Orban in April after 16 years in power, said his government would amend that legislation.
The Couple's Adoption Journey
Bence Lakatos, 36, and Jozsef Vanyovszki, 41, have been trying to adopt a child since 2021.
Facing Barriers and Bias
"We didn't feel outright hostility, but when we first met social services it was clear they had an unspoken inclination that led us to infer that a decision would go against us," said Vanyovszki, who works in graphics design and online marketing.
Recent Progress and Renewed Optimism
Their bid finally gained new momentum in August, when Lakatos, who works as a special needs teacher, was deemed fit to adopt as a single parent.
"We have made no progress for three years, so we were expecting something to happen, but this still feels incredible," Vanyovszki said.
"We knew there would be changes after April, but actually experiencing this is completely different than merely hoping for something to change."
Public Opinion and the Path Forward
Changing Attitudes in Hungary
A survey by the pollster Median in June indicated that more than half of Hungarians would roll back Orban's curbs on LGBTQ rights, while two-thirds of respondents supported gay marriage and adoption.
Marriage and Legal Recognition
Lakatos and Vanyovszki met in 2011 and married five years later in Denmark; Hungary recognises civil unions but has never allowed gay marriage.
Hopes for Full Equality
Lakatos said full equal rights for gay couples still seemed some way off.
"I hope that marriage equality, which has already been discussed at great length, will come into force," he said. "That would allow us to completely eliminate these additional difficulties and rights violations."
(Reporting by Gergely Szakacs and Krisztina Fenyo; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
