Bulgaria bans LGBTQ+ “propoganda” in schools

The Bulgarian parliament passed a law banning “propaganda [of] non-traditional sexual orientation and/or gender identity other than the biological one” in schools across the country yesterday, as the country falls in line with Russia’s push against LGBTQ+ existing in public.

The ban comes via changes to the 2020 Pre-school and School Education Act. It was proposed by the pro-Russia Vazrazhdane Party and passed 159 votes to 22 out of the 240-person parliament, Politico reports.

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“I’m sorry if that offends you, and you’re religious. I don’t care anymore. If you push, I’m gonna push back. I’m not in the f**king mood.”

It was condemned by LGBTQ+ rights advocates who protested in the country’s capital of Sofia and chanted, “Shame on you.” The gay rights group Deystvie said that “Bulgaria is following in Russia’s footsteps.”

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Russia is notoriously bad on LGBTQ+ rights. In December 2022, the country completely banned “any action or the spreading of any information that is considered an attempt to promote homosexuality in public, online, or in films, books or advertising.”

Deystvie lawyer Denitsa Lyubenova said that the law “implicitly foreshadows a witch-hunt and sanctions any educational efforts related to LGBTQ people in school.”

Another organization, the feminist group LevFem, said that the legislation was a “hate law” and that “MPs turned school into an even more dangerous place for teenagers.”

“They normalized violence against LGBT+ people and denied LGBT+ youth access to information and life-saving support during the most difficult time of their lives.”

The change in the policy bans the “propaganda, promotion or incitement in any way, directly or indirectly in the education system” and now defines “non-traditional sexual orientation” as “different from the generally accepted and established notions in the Bulgarian legal tradition of emotional, romantic, sexual or sensual attraction between persons of opposite sexes.”

LGBTQ+ rights group Forbidden Colors strongly condemned the change in a press release. “We unequivocally condemns the recently passed legislation in Bulgaria that bans the portrayal of LGBTIQ+ identities in schools. This law is a blatant attack on children’s rights and echoes the discriminatory policies seen in Russia and Hungary,” the statement reads.

“This law is a direct assault on the fundamental human rights of LGBTIQ+ individuals, particularly children. It is deeply troubling to see Bulgaria adopting tactics from Russia’s anti-human rights playbook. Such actions are not only regressive but are also in direct contradiction to the values of equality and non-discrimination that the European Union stands for.”

Bulgaria is a member of the European Union. A commissioner from the EU told Politico that the EU couldn’t comment on the law but “remains steadfast in its commitment to tackling discrimination, inequalities and challenges faced by LGBTIQ individuals.”

LGBTQ+ rights group ILGA-Europe said that Bulgaria is the third worst in the bloc for queer rights.

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