
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.
Hungary’s government fines a retailer $36,000 for displaying a book without special foil packaging required by law, as Prime Minister Viktor Orban's ramps up his anti-LGBTQ campaign https://t.co/Qk7rdxjrbA
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