Budapest- In a controversial decision, the Hungarian government has prohibited individuals under the age of 18 from attending this year’s prestigious World Press Photo exhibition in Budapest. The move comes after some of the exhibition’s photographs were deemed to violate Hungary’s contentious law restricting LGBTQ+ content.
The World Press Photo exhibition, which takes place at Hungary’s National Museum in Budapest and showcases exceptional photojournalism, draws more than four million visitors from across the globe each year. Its primary mission is to provide global audiences with visual coverage of significant events.
The catalyst for this restriction was a series of five photographs by Filipino photojournalist Hannah Reyes Morales. These images portray a community of elderly LGBTQ+ individuals in the Philippines who have shared their lives for decades, supporting and caring for one another as they age. Some photos within the series depict community members dressed in drag and wearing makeup.
Joumana El Zein Khoury, the executive director of World Press Photo, expressed deep concern over the government’s decision, stating that it is troubling to target a photo series that is “so positive and inclusive.” Notably, this marks the first instance of censorship within a World Press Photo exhibition in Europe.
Tamas Revesz, a former World Press Photo jury member and the organizer of Hungary’s exhibitions for over three decades, pointed out that many photographs in the exhibition, such as those depicting the war in Ukraine, are far more serious and impactful than Morales’ series. Given that approximately half of the exhibition’s 50,000 annual visitors in Hungary are students, thousands of young Hungarians will be unable to view the collection, even those images that do not contain LGBTQ+ content.
This decision to limit access to the exhibition is part of a broader effort by Hungary’s government, led by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, to restrict materials that promote or depict homosexuality to minors in various forms of media, including television, films, advertisements, and literature. The government claims that the 2021 “child protection” law is aimed at safeguarding children from what it deems as sexual propaganda. However, this law has led to legal action from 15 EU countries and was condemned by Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, as “a disgrace.”
Reyes Morales, the photographer, emphasized in a statement that her subjects in the photographs serve as “icons and role models” for LGBTQ+ individuals in the Philippines and are not dangerous or harmful.
As of now, Hungary’s cultural ministry has not responded to requests for an interview regarding this matter.
