<p>Hungary's nationalist government on Thursday condemned a book of modern fairy tales for children published by a lesbian group as "homosexual propaganda" and said it should be banned.</p>.<p>The book "Wonderland Is For Everyone", was published last month by the Labrisz Lesbian Association, and has sparked a public debate in Hungary, where signs of official intolerance of LGBT+ people are increasingly emerging.</p>.<p>A politician from the far-right fringe Our Homeland party tore the book apart and shredded it at a press conference and called it homosexual propaganda. Asked about the book at a press briefing, Prime Minister Viktor Orban's cabinet chief also called it "homosexual propaganda".</p>.<p>"Sexual identity is a private matter but there is a threshold ... namely that homosexual propaganda should not be directed at children," Gergely Gulyas said, adding this amounted to endangering minors.</p>.<p>Dorottya Redai, a project leader with the publisher responded: "We reject the unfounded accusations that we would be causing harm to children." The politician's remarks amounted to "hate propaganda" she added.</p>.<p>In power since 2010, Orban has promised to "build a new era" with major cultural changes in Hungary. His government has so far refrained from strong attacks on the LGBT+ community, unlike Poland, where homophobia has been part of the ruling PiS party's ideology and election strategy.</p>.<p>However, parliament, with the ruling party's majority, voted in May to ban transgender people from changing their gender on identity documents.</p>.<p>Bulcsu Hunyadi, an analyst at think tank Political Capital said the government seized on the book to prevent the far-right from dominating the agenda but was unlikely to step up its anti-LGBT stance to the extent seen in Poland ahead of the 2022 parliamentary elections.</p>.<p>"Hungarian society is a lot more secular and more accepting towards LGBT people (than Polish society)," he said. "This today ... could be followed with some policy moves but I don't think Fidesz will build a big campaign around the issue."</p>.<p>The first 1,500 copies of the book, which contains 17 stories with characters from various social backgrounds, sold out quickly.</p>.<p>The Hungarian Publishers' and Booksellers Association said several bookshops had been threatened and become the target of hate mongering. "Leave the bookshops alone," it said, rejecting condemnation of the book.</p>
<p>Hungary's nationalist government on Thursday condemned a book of modern fairy tales for children published by a lesbian group as "homosexual propaganda" and said it should be banned.</p>.<p>The book "Wonderland Is For Everyone", was published last month by the Labrisz Lesbian Association, and has sparked a public debate in Hungary, where signs of official intolerance of LGBT+ people are increasingly emerging.</p>.<p>A politician from the far-right fringe Our Homeland party tore the book apart and shredded it at a press conference and called it homosexual propaganda. Asked about the book at a press briefing, Prime Minister Viktor Orban's cabinet chief also called it "homosexual propaganda".</p>.<p>"Sexual identity is a private matter but there is a threshold ... namely that homosexual propaganda should not be directed at children," Gergely Gulyas said, adding this amounted to endangering minors.</p>.<p>Dorottya Redai, a project leader with the publisher responded: "We reject the unfounded accusations that we would be causing harm to children." The politician's remarks amounted to "hate propaganda" she added.</p>.<p>In power since 2010, Orban has promised to "build a new era" with major cultural changes in Hungary. His government has so far refrained from strong attacks on the LGBT+ community, unlike Poland, where homophobia has been part of the ruling PiS party's ideology and election strategy.</p>.<p>However, parliament, with the ruling party's majority, voted in May to ban transgender people from changing their gender on identity documents.</p>.<p>Bulcsu Hunyadi, an analyst at think tank Political Capital said the government seized on the book to prevent the far-right from dominating the agenda but was unlikely to step up its anti-LGBT stance to the extent seen in Poland ahead of the 2022 parliamentary elections.</p>.<p>"Hungarian society is a lot more secular and more accepting towards LGBT people (than Polish society)," he said. "This today ... could be followed with some policy moves but I don't think Fidesz will build a big campaign around the issue."</p>.<p>The first 1,500 copies of the book, which contains 17 stories with characters from various social backgrounds, sold out quickly.</p>.<p>The Hungarian Publishers' and Booksellers Association said several bookshops had been threatened and become the target of hate mongering. "Leave the bookshops alone," it said, rejecting condemnation of the book.</p>