Director of Hungarian National Museum fired over LGBTQI+ content in World Press Photo exhibition

Minister of Culture and Innovation János Csák has dismissed László L. Simon, the Director General of the Hungarian National Museum with immediate effect, Magyar Nemzet reports. The minister, as the person exercising the powers of the employer, handed over the document terminating his employment to the Director General earlier today.

According to the Ministry of Culture and Innovation, Csák’s justification is that the Director General failed to comply with the legal obligations expected of the institution, even when called upon to do so, and

has thus demonstrated behaviour which made it impossible for him to remain at his post.

The Ministry of Culture and Innovation recognises L. Simon's previous achievements in the field of culture," the statement said.

The dismissal of the Director-General is likely linked to the case surrounding the World Press Photo exhibition, which Dóra Dúró, MP of the right-wing Mi Hazánk party accused of spreading LGBTQI+ propaganda last week.

Dóra Dúró considers some of the images presented at the World Press Photo (WPP) exhibition to be harmful. She objected to a series of photos by Hannah Reyes Morales about a nursing home for elderly members of the LGBTQI+ community, and to the exhibition presenting a Kenyan case of the rape and murder of a 25-year-old non-binary lesbian, Sheila Adhiambo Lulumba, as a major event of the past year. The Mi Hazánk MP announced that she would be submitting an amendment to the law and would appeal to the Minister of Culture regarding the events at the National Museum, MTI reported.

Telex visited the National Museum and viewed the series of photos at the exhibition that Dúró found problematic. Hannah Reyes Morales' work, entitled Home for the Golden Gays, features the residents of a nursing home in the Philippines.

"The Golden Gays are a community of elderly LGBTQI+ Filipinos who have been living together and supporting each other for decades in a country where – due to their age, socio-economic status, discrimination, and prejudice – they face increased hardship", the exhibition's caption reads.

Dúró requested that Minister János Csák initiate a judicial supervisory proceeding over the content of the World Press Photo Exhibition at the National Museum, and Csák concluded that the law had indeed been violated, and pursuant to the Law on the Protection of Families, called on the National Museum, i.e. Director László L. Simon, to tighten the entry regulations and only admit persons over 18 years of age.

The Director General countered by saying that "the National Museum is unable to legally enforce János Csák's request, as they are not entitled to check anyone's ID card" and thanked Dúró for the publicity, as for several days crowds had queued outside the museum to see the newly age restricted exhibition. Dúró then accused the director of "mocking the government".

L. Simon reacted to his unexpected sacking in a statement:

"This morning, Minister János Csák informed me that he is relieving me of my duties as Director General of the Hungarian National Museum because he believes that I have sabotaged the Child Protection Act. While I acknowledge the decision, I am unable to accept it. The museum did not intentionally violate any law by displaying the photos of the World Press Photo exhibition," he wrote. "Contrary to what the ministry said in its statement, we complied with the instructions issued by the authorities without delay and in full, and introduced a restriction for those under 18 years of age, and informed the authorities immediately.

As a father of four children and a grandparent, I firmly reject the idea that our children should be shielded from me or the institution I run".

A few days ago, the Director-General published an article in (pro-government news outlet) Mandiner entitled "The museum is not dead, it's alive!", stating that "We must create an environment in which the management and professional autonomy of major museums is guaranteed. The cooperation between the National Museum and the Ministry of Culture is a good example of this: no one ever calls me about our exhibitions or our acquisitions policy."

He added that this was "slightly overshadowed by the storm surrounding the World Press Photo exhibition", but even in this case, the maintaining authority did not interfere in their professional work. Moreover, Balázs Orbán, the Prime Minister's political director had agreed to open the exhibition despite being fully aware of the material which was to be presented.

In the article, L. Simon wrote that "Since the birth of the modern Hungarian nation, the Hungarian National Museum has been a vibrant intellectual and cultural hub which the community had designated for itself. It remained an autonomous intellectual space even during the communist dictatorship, when its freedom was restricted. The current Prime Minister, who supported my appointment, is also aware of this".

"Our exhibitions must include shocking images and objects of wars, political movements and even of deviations in the world. Anyone who does not understand why these things should be in the National Museum is not aware of the mission of museums of history,"

he wrote.

The Hungarian law originally known as the child protection or anti-pedophile act, was passed by parliament in 2021 with the last-minute addition of sections that strongly stigmatize members of the LGBTQI+ community. More on that may be found in this article.