(Bloomberg) -- Hungary rejected European Union accusations that its recently passed anti-pedophilia law is homophobic, telling the bloc it can’t dictate how children should be raised.

In a reply to EU Commissioner Thierry Breton, Justice Minister Judit Varga said Wednesday that it’s Hungary’s right to protect its “culture, national identity and the family values rooted in them.” She also reiterated objections to EU infringement proceedings initiated as a result of the legislation.

“We reject categorically the assumption that the purpose of the law would be exclusion or discrimination -- it’s only about the upbringing of Hungarian children and the protection of minors,” Varga said in a Facebook post. “They try to punish us only because we don’t let the LGBTQ lobby into Hungarian schools and kindergartens.”

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