Hungary

Organization(s)
Transvanilla
Social situation
Being a trans (including non-binary) or gender-non conform (TGN) person in Hungary is very difficult. Society has very little knowledge on TGN issues and the visibility of TGN people is very low. TGN people face ignorance and are stigmatised by various segments of society including mediums, health care and legal professionals, policy makers and administrative personnel. Discrimination and violence despite relatively good legislation are part of everyday life. Life is more difficult for those being poor, uneducated, Roma, migrant, sex-worker and/or living at the countryside. The situation is getting more hostile for all minorities in the country, and the society is already deeply racist, anti-Semitic, sexist, xenophobic, homophobic and transphobic. TGN people are desperate, hopeless and afraid of in the future to be pushed more to the margins of society. Society is highly ignorant and not supportive of trans issues.
Legal situation
Legal gender recognition is possible since 2003, although it was not legislated and requirements were not published until 2015. Since the governmental decree was adopted in January 2018 procedures have been suspended two times. Mental diagnosis is still mandatory and there is forced divorce also.

There are no clinical guidelines or medical protocols in relation to trans specific health care on the national level. Hungary’s health insurance cover for gender affirming surgeries is 10% of the total costs. The lack of specialised surgeons in the public health care system remains an obstacle. Without legal gender recognition treatment (HRT and surgeries) is only available at private clinics.

In Hungary there are provisions prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity in the Act on Equal Treatment and Promotion of Equal Opportunities (Article 8). The protection covers the areas of employment, education and access to and supply of goods and services, including housing.
In 2013, the Criminal Code of Hungary was amended to include Section 332 Incitement Against a Community (up to three years in prison), which lists gender identity.
Anti-trans violence
Since Hungary has been a member of the EU, solid data on discrimination against trans people has been collected through some EU-wide research and by research studies by Hungarian LGBT and trans organisations. Discrimination is widespread and goes unreported providing impunity to perpetrators. Direct transphobic violence in general manifests in harassment, verbal abuse, verbal assault - insult, transphobic comments and threats. When physical violence is present serious bodily harm is not recorded. Though the legislation is relatively progressive, police and prosecutors are very reluctant to press such charges, and even if they do they often prosecute hate crimes as less severe offenses because they are easier to prove. However, no data is collected on transphobic hate crimes. So far, no case involving incitement to hatred or violence against a community on the grounds of gender identity has reached the criminal courts. The National Crime Prevention Strategy also lacks measures aimed at combating crime motivated by transphobic violence.

61 Cases

HUN_TV_01

Date of incident
Jan 6, 2014
Type of incident
  • Discriminatory incidents
Type of perpetrator
  • Employer (superior)
Type of location of incident
  • Work
Country
Hungary
Person

HUN_TV_02

Date of incident
Feb 26, 2014
Type of incident
  • Discriminatory incidents
Type of perpetrator
  • Doctor
Type of location of incident
  • Other
Country
Hungary
Person

HUN_TV_03

Date of incident
May 11, 2014
Type of incident
  • Cyber hate
Type of perpetrator
  • Other (clarify under Description)
Type of location of incident
  • Internet
Country
Hungary
Person