Hungary Fines Bookseller $36K For Selling LGBTQ Young Adult Novel

The Hungarian government has fined one of the countries largest booksellers over $35,000 for making the acclaimed coming-of-age LGBTQ graphic novel Heartstopper available without “closed packaging.” From ABC News:

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 fine comes just days before thousands of LGBTQ people are expected to take part in Budapest Pride in Hungary’s capital. https://twitter.com/business/status/1679539654737944584