Hungarian National Museum Director Fired Over LGBTQ Content Display Amidst Controversial Ban

Laszlo L. Simon dismissed after photos documenting an elderly LGBTQ+ community in the Philippines on display at the World Press Photo exhibition allegedly violated Hungary’s 2021 “child protection” law, sparking legal action from 15 EU countries.

Laszlo L. Simon, the director of the Hungarian National Museum in Budapest, was dismissed on November 6, 2023, over accusations of violating the nation's 2021 'child protection' law that forbids the display of LGBTQ+ content to minors.
Simon's dismissal came after the Hungarian government found that five photos from the World Press Photo exhibition displayed in the museum violated the restrictive law. These photos documented a community of elderly LGBTQ+ people living together and caring for each other in the Philippines.
In response to the government's accusations, the museum had placed a notice on its website and at the entrance to the exhibition stating that it was only accessible to visitors above 18 years of age.
Despite being a member of the ruling Fidesz party and a former secretary of state with the cultural ministry, Simon refuted the government's decision, stating on his Facebook page that neither he nor the museum deliberately violated the law.
The controversial law, defended by the Hungarian government as a protection for children from 'sexual propaganda', has spurred legal actions from 15 European Union countries, with the Union's Commission President Ursula von der Leyen deeming it 'a disgrace'.