Law and Morality: Evolution of LGBT Rights in Estonia, Hungary and Poland: From Communist Past to Current Reality

The rights and discrimination of LGBTI people are constantly changing in the time and space. The approach to this group of persons derives from the values and morality that prevail in the leading political parties or perception of morals of the state. All humans are equal and the first article of Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.” This basic universal value seems to be forgotten in case of giving rights to LGBTI people. The most largely disrespected right is the right to enjoy family life, as many countries do not recognize the marriage between same sex couples, but this is not the only problematic issue. This chapter will explore and analyse the different legal, political approaches and impact on LGBTI rights and how they are related to morality and values of the states. Examples of European states like Estonia, Hungary, Poland will be used to illustrate the different approaches to the legal problems that LGBTI people are facing. The results reveal that the Hungarian society is more tolerant towards minorities and more satisfied with their democracy than Estonia, indicating less influence from the past communist regime. The Soviet Union had more influence on shaping the societal attitudes towards sexual minorities in Estonia and less influence in Hungary but there is still a rising concern about Poland. The implication of this research shows that the acceptance of sexual minorities in the society takes time as societies are still influenced by the communism legacy and influence. It requires legislative support and sufficient information for people to make up their own minds.

本章探讨并分析欧洲国家（如爱沙尼亚、匈牙利和波兰）在LGBTI权利方面的不同法律和政治立场，及其与国家道德和价值观的关系，特别关注婚姻权利和家庭生活等受限领域。研究关注前共产主义政权对社会态度的持续影响，揭示匈牙利社会对少数群体更具包容性，且对民主更为满意，而爱沙尼亚则受到苏联遗产的更大影响，波兰的情况令人担忧。研究指出，LGBTI群体的社会接纳程度受到历史影响，需通过立法支持和信息传播来推动社会态度的转变。

本研究通过比较分析爱沙尼亚、匈牙利和波兰的法律和政治框架，探讨这些国家在LGBTI权利方面的差异及其与国家道德和价值观的关系。研究采用案例分析法，选取上述三个具有不同历史背景和政治文化的欧洲国家，考察其法律法规、政治立场及社会态度，重点分析前共产主义政权对社会接受度的长期影响。数据来源包括法律文本、政策文件及相关社会调查，旨在揭示各国对LGBTI群体权利的立法支持与社会接受程度的互动关系。

研究发现，苏联对同性恋的刑事定罪对爱沙尼亚和匈牙利社会态度产生了深远影响，将同性恋视为非法行为的观念在集体记忆中根深蒂固。匈牙利于1961年去刑事化，标志着国家层面对性少数群体的初步接受，较早实现对性少数群体的宽容。而爱沙尼亚直到1992年才完成去刑事化，社会对同性恋的恐惧与污名化仍较为显著。然而，爱沙尼亚在法律层面推进LGBT权利的速度快于匈牙利，去刑事化至通过性别中立注册伴侣法案所需时间分别为22年和46年。相比之下，波兰社会对LGBT权利缺乏共识，部分地区对人权的潜在侵犯引发国际关注。总体而言，苏联对成员国（如爱沙尼亚）的社会态度影响更为深远，而对卫星国（如匈牙利）的影响较小。尽管苏联遗产仍影响各代人对性少数群体的包容程度，但全球化、多元文化和互联网的普及正在加速社会态度的转变。爱沙尼亚和匈牙利在历史与地理条件下率先通过性别中立注册伴侣法案，成为区域内的先行者，国际组织与欧盟一体化的支持预计将推动其他前社会主义国家逐步实现性少数群体的平等权利。