Slovakia: Proposed law against LGBTI propaganda in schools

Now that Hungary, Bulgaria and Russia already have laws of varying degrees in force, Slovakia is also discussing a draft law against LGBTI propaganda in schools.

Source: Transition News, 27 Sept. 2024

MPs from the Slovak National Party (SNS), which is part of a coalition government, have bypassed Education Minister Tomáš Drucker and introduced a bill against LGBTI propaganda in schools, even though the European Commission has sued Hungary over similar laws.

Four MPs from the right-wing nationalist SNS, led by party chairman Andrej Danko, submitted a proposal to parliament for an amendment to the Education Act that contains a clear definition of the term “non-traditional sexual orientation” and prohibits its promotion and the dissemination of such ideas in schools. Schools that violate the law can be fined up to 30,000 euros.

“Slovak society is based on traditional values that define marriage as the exclusive union between a man and a woman, which is also explicitly mentioned in Article 41(1) of the Slovak Constitution. In the context of these values, the bill aims to protect children and young people from influences that could contradict constitutional principles,” the SNS MPs’ report states.

Should the bill proposed by the SNS become law, it would look very similar to a section of Hungary’s 2021 anti-LGBTI law. The law, which bans minors from accessing content that promotes “deviation from gender identity at birth, gender reassignment or homosexuality”, is expected to be reviewed by the European Court of Justice after being challenged by the European Commission.

However, it is unclear whether Parliament will pass the amendment. The three-party coalition led by Prime Minister Robert Fico’s social democratic SMER is divided on the issue. This is why the SNS is attempting to sway the education minister, who belongs to another coalition party.

A similar law banning the promotion of LGBT in schools was passed by the Bulgarian parliament in August this year after the Renaissance party, which is considered pro-Russian, made a corresponding proposal.

In 2022, the Russian parliament passed a law that goes much further, extending the existing ban on “propaganda in favour of the LGBT community” for children to people of all ages.

Under the new law, which was passed at first reading by the Duma, any event or act deemed to be an attempt to promote homosexuality, whether online, in the cinema, on television or in public, will be subject to a fine.

Source:

Euractiv: Slovakia: Coalition clashes over draft law against LGBTQI content in education – 9 September 2024