Commissioner for Fundamental Rights Welcomes Participants of Transzfeszt Cultural Festival in Letter (29–31 March 2019)

As Commissioner for Fundamental Rights László Székely explained in his letter, gender identity is an organic part of the diverse human personality: an unalterable core property on the basis of which no one should be discriminated against. The expression and acceptance of gender identity is a fundamental human right.

In his letter the Ombudsman reminded that over the past decades numerous documents have been created both in international and EU legislation and in Hungarian law in order to enforce the ideal of equal dignity and promote a non-discriminatory society. Part of this is the protection of sexual minorities and transgender persons against all forms of discrimination. The Commissioner for Fundamental Rights and his staff strive to promote these objectives – among others – with the legal instruments at their disposal.

At the same time, László Székely underlined that the lack of knowledge, prejudice resulting from that and negative discrimination cannot be eliminated by the means of law alone: rather, they can be conquered through education, awareness-raising and mutual understanding. The Commissioner for Fundamental Rights trusts that the TranszFeszt Cultural Festival, scheduled to take place on the International Transgender Day of Visibility, will also contribute to this effort. The Festival’s key aims and hoped-for impacts are to provide a nuanced image, a better reflection of the real situation of this diverse community and their social engagement, and to enhance their understanding and visibility, hence the practical implementation of the principle of equal dignity for persons of various identities.