LGBTQ+ Bulgarians and their allies have gathered outside the nation’s national assembly building to protest against a newly passed amendment to the Pre-school and School Education Act, which bans so-called LGBTQ+ propaganda in schools.
The amendment, introduced by the pro-Russian Vazrazhdane Party, was passed on Wednesday, the 7th of August, with 159 votes in favour, 22 against, and 12 abstentions.
The law now prohibits the “propaganda, promotion or incitement in any way, directly or indirectly in the education system” and redefines “non-traditional sexual orientation” as anything that deviates from the traditional concept of heterosexual relationships established in Bulgarian law.
In response to this move—reminiscent of Vladimir Putin’s anti-LGBTQ+ policies in Russia—LGBTQ+, human rights, and feminist groups took to the streets of Sofia on Thursday (8 August) to voice their opposition. Protesters waved rainbow Pride flags and held signs with messages like “silence = death” and “cis-heteronormativity = propaganda.” The crowd chanted slogans such as “Bulgaria is no Russia” and “Silence means death.”
According to the Associated Press, the protest remained peaceful.
Queer rights group Deystvie criticised the amendment, stating, “Bulgaria is following in Russia’s footsteps.” Lawyer Denitsa Lyubenova warned that the new law “implicitly foreshadows a witch-hunt and sanctions any educational efforts related to LGBTQ people in school.”
In response, Deystvie, along with several other organisations, has launched a petition demanding the amendment be vetoed. They plan to present it to President Rumen Radev on Monday (12 August). The petition argues that the law is unenforceable and violates both the Law on Protection from Discrimination and the European Convention on Human Rights.
Feminist organisation LevFem condemned the legislation as a “hate law,” stating on social media that Bulgaria’s MPs have “turned school into an even more dangerous place for teenagers.” They added that the law “normalised violence against LGBT+ people and denied LGBT+ youth access to information and life-saving support during the most difficult time of their lives.”
Bulgaria has a troubling record when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights, ranking 107th in the world according to Equaldex. While homosexuality is legal, equal marriage is not, with the country’s Constitution defining marriage as a “free union between a man and a woman.”
In October 2022, a report by the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance urged Bulgarian leaders to combat anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments. The report highlighted that the LGBTQ+ community and Roma people are “the main victims of public expressions of hatred and prejudice” in the country. However, just last year, Bulgaria’s Supreme Court ruled in favour of a singer who referred to gay people as “perverts.”
