The Hungarian bookseller was penalised under legislation restricting LGBT literature for under-18s.

Hungarian authorities have fined a bookseller for selling a British graphic novel without closed wrapping - saying it breached a controversial law on LGBT literature for under-18s.

The Lira Kiskereskedelmi Kft retailer was fined 12m forints (£27,400) for selling a Heartstopper book without wrapping it in plastic foil. Officials said the book depicted homosexuality and was sold to minors. The love story, about two teenage boys, has been made into a Netflix series.

  • ValiantDustEnglish
    14•1 year ago

    Contains spoilers for Heartstopper!

    That sucks so much, because Heartstopper is really extremely wholesome. Aside from the LGBTQ storylines, it also deals with mental health issues, eating disorders (of a male teenager, which is a neglected topic), bullying and problems that come with growing up. I think many young people can find comfort and representation in these books, no matter which sexual orientation or gender. These laws actively hurt the people they claim to protect.

    Edit: Just realised some of this might be a spoiler and added a warning. Does anyone know how to add spoiler tags in Liftoff? I have a feeling it might not be possible yet.

    • Poplar?English
      1•1 year ago

      Good points. For spoilers there is a “⚠️” symbol in the bar with the “bold”, “italics” and “link” buttons you can tap to use.