[4] After the law was passed, the European Commission started infringement proceedings against Hungary for breaching guarantees of freedom of expression and non-discrimination in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.

[5] In April 2012, Jobbik, then a far-right nationalist party, tried to introduce a bill into the Hungarian parliament that would change the national constitution to allegedly "protect public morals and the mental health of the young generations" by banning the popularization of "sexual deviancy".

[8][9] The vague language used in the law raised fears among same sex couples that simple acts like holding hands on the street would end up labeled as "promotion of homosexuality" and lead to arrests.

According to a government spokesperson who made a statement after the legislation had been approved, the latter measures were to target "organisations with dubious professional background … often established for the representation of specific sexual orientations".

Such products also must not be sold within two hundred metres (approximately 656 feet) of any entrances of educational institutions, premises of child and youth protection services, churches and other places dedicated to the practice of religion.

The statement was immediately endorsed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Lithuania, Spain, Sweden and Latvia, by Italy at the end of the meeting and by Austria and Greece on the following day.

[23][24] In a response to the statement, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó dismissed all negative opinions and urged critics to read the law in its entirety.

[24] According to Zoltán Kovács, Secretary of State for International Relations wrote in an opinion piece on Euronews.com that according to the law only parents should decide sexual education of their children.

[25] The president of European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen expressed concern and tweeted: "I believe in a Europe which embraces diversity, not one which hides it from our children.

A petition was started that asked Jürgen Muth, manager of the Allianz Arena, Aleksander Čeferin, president of the UEFA, Fritz Keller, president of the German Football Association and Andreas Jung, director of FC Bayern Munich to light the arena with rainbow colours in solidarity with the LGBT community of Hungary and in protest against the law.

[31] In July 2021, the European Commission started infringement proceedings against Hungary for breaching guarantees of freedom of expression and non-discrimination in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.

The law was too vague to meet the requirement of foreseeability, infringed on the right of freedom of expression, and discriminated on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

[39][40] As of April 2023, 15 member states (Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria, Ireland, Malta, Denmark, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Slovenia, Finland and Greece) have joined the case.

The report added that verbal aggression was the most frequent, with some conflicts escalating into threats of violence and even committing violent acts against LGBT people or harming their property.

[44][45] Kamaszpanasz, a young health website, deleted LGBTQ content and re-categorized the remainder as not suitable under 18, even those that simply explained the meaning of "sexual orientation".

In June 2021, Eötvös Loránd University Faculty of Humanities posted an LGBTQ booklet on its official Instagram page, only for it to be removed a few days later due to external pressure of the far-right Sixty-Four Counties Youth Movement.

International companies such as Coca-Cola, H&M and Levi's have likewise ceased making Hungarian Pride related advertisements since the adoption of the anti-LGBT law.

Those that try to maintain a supportive approach with their students are put under immense pressure, as they risk having their name and photo appearing on a public list of teachers, compiled by a far-right news portal.