Speaking to the press in Brussels today in light of statements made by Hungary's Victor Orban in the passing of a controversial law, Bettel condemned ignorance and said he would be "intolerant with intolerant people."
The leaders of more than half of the EU's member states on Thursday declared their support for defending the rights of LGBTQ people after a controversial law passed in Hungary.
Without directly mentioning Hungary, a letter signed by the heads of state ahead of an EU summit deplored the "threats against fundamental rights, and in particular the principle of non-discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation".
This was a cloaked reference to the law, which bans LGBTQ educational content for children and is due to come into effect in Hungary soon.
Xavier Bettel was more direct in his personal statements to the press, noting that watching a film, advertisement, or television - or indeed sexual orientation being discussed in the classroom - does not turn someone gay. On a personal note, Bettel stated that "to accept yourself being gay was my most difficult thing, to accept it myself, how to say it to my parents."
Bettel also stated firmly that confusing homosexuality with paedophilia is unacceptable, going on to note that being allowed to be different is a core EU value, and that we cannot be judges of human rights elsewhere if they are going in the wrong direction closer to home and within our own ranks.
The debate about the law has divided EU countries largely along an east-west line with more socially-conservative governments in eastern Europe so far unwilling to come out against Hungary's right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
The issue pushed to the forefront of EU politics this week when UEFA, Europe's football governing body, rejected a plan by Munich to light up its stadium in LGBTQ rainbow colours for a Germany-Hungary match on Wednesday.
The city reacted by instead decorating many of its monuments -- including those next to the stadium -- in rainbow tints while French President Emmanuel Macron said UEFA's decision was deeply regrettable.
The controversy will likely be raised during a summit working dinner in Brussels later on Thursday.
The signatories are the leaders of the following countries: Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Finland and Sweden.
Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, who sometime aligns with Orban on social issues, was missing, but Xavier Bettel said on Twitter that Kurz "also joined us this morning with his signature".
