Bulgarian protesters unite against ban on LGBTQ+ discussions in schools
August 12, 2024Protesters gathered outside Bulgaria’s parliament on Thursday to oppose a controversial legal amendment adopted the previous day, which prohibits discussions on LGBTQ+ and so-called nontraditional sexual choices in schools.
The protest was organised by feminist, LGBTQ+, and other rights groups who are demanding that the amendment, which bans what its supporters describe as “LGBTQ+ propaganda in schools,” be repealed.
According to ‘NBC News’, the protesters, waving the rainbow flag, chanted phrases such as “Bulgaria is no Russia” and “Silence means death” while police officers monitored the rally. There were no reports of violence.
On Wednesday, Bulgaria’s parliament passed the amendment to the education law, which was proposed by the pro-Russian Vazrazhdane party and unexpectedly supported by some pro-European Union parties. In the 240-seat parliament, 159 lawmakers voted in favour of the amendment.
Image Credit: Canva
The amendment prohibits the “promotion, popularization, and support of ideas and opinions related to non-traditional sexual orientation or sexual identification other than biological” in schools.
In a separate vote on Wednesday, legislators also passed a law defining “non-traditional sexual orientation” as one that deviates from the “generally accepted and established notions in Bulgarian legal tradition of emotional, romantic, sexual or sensual attraction between persons of the opposite sex.”
As a member of the European Union, Bulgaria has faced criticism for violating the rights of the LGBTQ+ community and has been urged to ensure their recognition and protection. Bulgaria has also refused to ratify the Istanbul Convention on preventing violence against women, citing a widespread belief that it promotes LGBTQ rights.
European rights organisations, such as the Belgium-based Forbidden Colors, criticised the legislation as an attack on the fundamental rights of LGBTQ+ 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,” Forbidden Colors stated on its website.
Similar anti-LGBTQ+ legislation has been enacted in other countries in the region, including Hungary, Bosnia, Moldova, and Turkey.
A petition is being shared to protest against this decision, in the name of human rights.
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