Hungary slams hefty fine on bookstore chain over LGBTQ+ graphic novel, says it violated law

Source: Associated Press

Hungary slams hefty fine on bookstore chain over LGBTQ+ graphic novel, says it violated law

BY JUSTIN SPIKE
Published 1:11 PM EDT, July 13, 2023

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — A government office in Hungary on Thursday levied a hefty fine against a national bookseller over a LGBTQ+ graphic novel, saying it violated a contentious law that prohibits the depiction of homosexuality to minors.

The bookseller, Lira Konyv, is Hungary’s second-largest bookstore chain. It was fined 12 million forints ($35,930) for placing the popular “Heartstopper” by British author Alice Oseman in its youth literature section, and for failing to place it in closed packaging as required by a 2021 law.

The Budapest Metropolitan Government Office, which issued the consumer protection fine, told state news agency MTI that it had conducted an investigation into the store’s selling of the title.

“The investigation found that the books in question depicted homosexuality, but they were nevertheless placed in the category of children’s books and youth literature, and were not distributed in closed packaging,” the office said.

The fine is based on Hungary’s 2021 “child protection” law, ...

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/hungary-fines-bookstore-lgbtq-5b213f12987ab511b58571b1725684fd