Bulgaria’s National Assembly approved an amendment to its Pre-School and School Education Act on Wednesday, prohibiting the education system from promoting LGBTQ+ views in schools.
The anti-LGBTQ+ law, introduced four weeks ago by the far-right and pro-Russian party Vazrazhdane, secured an overwhelming majority in Bulgaria’s 240-seat parliament with 135 votes in favor, 57 against, and eight abstentions. Swiftly passed with both readings held on the same day, the law aims to ban any promotion, incitement, or propaganda of non-traditional sexual choices and gender identifications within the education system. In a separate vote, lawmakers defined non-traditional sexual choices as those not aligning with the general Bulgarian legal norms of romantic or emotional attraction between opposite sexes.
In reaction to the amendment, protests led by feminist and LGBTQ+ organizations took to the streets to voice their disapproval. According to news reports, protestors chanted statements such as “veto the law,” “shame on you,” and “we will not put up.” No violence has been reported from these protests.
The legislation has faced condemnation from multiple NGOs and human rights advocacy groups. LGBTQ+ NGO Forbidden Colors criticized Bulgaria’s new law as a “blatant attack on children’s rights” and noted its “disturbingly reminiscent” similarities to the anti-LGBTQ+ propaganda laws in Russia and Hungary, which also ban LGBTQ+ promotions to minors.
Bulgaria does not currently recognize same-sex marriage and ranked third-worst among the 27 EU Member States for LGBTQ+ rights protection in 2024, according to the latest Rainbow Map by ILGA-Europe, an advocacy group that annually ranks European countries based on LGBTQ+ laws and policies.
For more details, refer to the original article on JURIST.