The recent anti-LGBT law passed in Hungary that forbids queer representation in media and also bans education on LGBT topics in school, leaves youth unattended and unable to have access to people who can provide them with support and orientation. This means an even bigger call for local content creators to take the torch and lead the representation of LGBT youth in Hungary. We need more content creators!
A brief summary of the law
Amendments to the Family Protection Act, the Act on Business Advertising Activity, the Media Act and the Public Education Act were passed earlier this year as an attempt by the Hungarian government to ban sharing information with minors that can be considered as a promotion of homosexuality and gender ideology, and to restrict LGBT representation in media and advertising.
Disguised as a strategy to protect children, this law is no more than yet another fearmongering campaign that follows previous ways in which Fidesz, the leading party in the country, uses different minorities as scapegoats by targeting them as an enemy of the country. Previous examples of the hate campaigns by the Hungarian government include targets such as immigrants, refugees, Roma people and even the European Union itself.
You can hide us, but that won’t make us disappear
The Achilles’ heel of these amendments is quite simple: being an LGBT person isn’t the result of propaganda or lobbying; nobody is converted or convinced into being gay, lesbian, trans or anything else. We are born this way. Therefore, they won’t stop LGBT people from existing in the country.
The only thing this move by Fidesz is achieving is to leave LGBT children unattended when it comes to education about their sexuality, their sexual health and their mental wellbeing. More queer teens are going to be left out at a time when they are full of questions and in need of guidance and representation, without access to professionals that can tell them they aren’t alone and that they aren’t wrong for being who they are.
Teenage years are already hard enough, and now these amendments will only leave LGBT youth in disadvantage for their personal development and self-realization.
No media, no schools… to whom can queer youth turn?
All of these lost kids and teenagers will still look for some sort of reference that can help them understand what they are feeling, but with media and schools being legally forbidden to serve as a reliable source of information, the Internet will be playing an even bigger role. That is when content creators shall take the torch!
Influencer: A person that influences another.
Although nowadays anybody is called an influencer simply for having a certain amount of social media followers or likes on their photos, most actually don’t have real influencer power as those numbers hardly translate in sales or any opinion leadership. What we need now are content creators, with emphasis on content.
It is no secret that content creators are the biggest force of influence in this era. In fact, being an Influencer has become one of the most desirable occupations for the younger generation, but this is something we have to be very careful with, as there is a big difference between posting a lavish lifestyle and actually creating content that can nurture the community. We need more of the latter.
The need for more LGBT content creators in Hungary
Now, this is not to say there aren’t any, because there are plenty of outstanding people creating content for the community. But our intention is to encourage more and more people to start creating content that supports the development of likeminded people.
Hungary is in need of more podcasts, YouTubers, TikTokers, and any other form of content creation. Here are some types of content we need:
– Content that represents: Representation matters and it is important to publish content that people can relate to. Sexual orientation goes beyond homosexual and heterosexual, gender identity goes beyond cis and trans, and so on. We need to show every color of the rainbow and make sure that there are as many stories out there as possible so we get to hear and learn about different people with different realities.
– Content that educates: Now that schools and media are out of the picture, it is up to us to educate each other on LGBT topics, sexuality, sexual health, mental health, gay culture and everything needed to raise well-rounded queer youth who are able to go out and contribute to the world.
– Content that raises questions: One of the best ways of growth and development is when on is put in situations in which they have to ask themselves important questions about their values, principles and character. With so much going on, and technology distracting us from having to spend time with ourselves, a lot of LGBT people don’t get the chance to learn, process and question ourselves mentally and emotionally.
– Content that closes the gap: Given the fear campaigns and the political climate promoting ignorance and fear about the LGBT community, an important mission we have at the moment is to close the gap between us and the rest of the country. Help them understand that we are just people like them, that there is no reason for them to be afraid of us and that our ultimate goal is to be treated equally. If we help them understand us, they will learn not to judge us.
The space is infinite for people to come up with any ideas on how to create the content that the Hungarian LGBT community needs. Now content creators shall carry the torch to make sure we keep on fighting!
Germán Henao
Instagram: germanhenao
