Hungary's government orders disclaimers on books with gay content

By Marton Dunai

BUDAPEST, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Hungary's government, which has made hostility to LGBT people a central part of its right-wing agenda, ordered a publisher on Tuesday to print disclaimers identifying books containing "behaviour inconsistent with traditional gender roles".

The government said the action was needed to protect consumers from being misled, after Labrisz, a Lesbian group, published a fairytale anthology, "Wonderland Is For Everyone", which included some stories with gay themes. The book, whose authors say it is intended to teach children to be respectful of people of all backgrounds, features a tale of a doe who is granted a wish to become a buck, and a poem about a prince who marries another prince.

Other stories depict minorities in a positive light, including Roma and disabled people. The character Snow White, renamed Leaf Brown, has dark skin.

"The book is sold as a fairytale, called so on its cover and designed accordingly, but it hides the fact that it depicts behaviour inconsistent with traditional gender roles," the Government Office in Budapest said in a statement. The order requires Labrisz to put disclaimers on all its books with such content, including "Wonderland Is For Everyone". Read more via Reuters