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The Council of Europe's human rights commissioner on Monday expressed “deep concern” over a bill passed by the Bulgarian parliament banning LGBTQ “propaganda,” and urged President Rumen Radev “not to sign it.”
Bulgaria passed amendments to its education law last Wednesday, broadening the scope of the ban on LGBTQ “propaganda” in schools in a move that rights groups have condemned as “discriminatory”.
The law currently prohibits “the direct or indirect propagation, promotion or incitement of ideas or views related to non-traditional, non-biological sexual orientation or gender identity in the education system.”
Human Rights Commissioner Michael O'Flaherty wrote to X that he was “deeply concerned about the law recently passed by the Bulgarian parliament banning so-called LGBTI 'propaganda' in schools.”
“I urge President Radev not to sign it,” he said.
“Authorities should tackle discrimination and hostile rhetoric against LGBTI people, including in the run-up to the elections.”
The amendment, proposed by Vazhzhdane, a pro-Russian party in the European Union, sparked protests in the capital, with demonstrators chanting “shame on you”.
Homophobic ideas have been a frequent feature in Bulgarian political debate and media as the former communist republic faces its seventh parliamentary election in three and a half years amid deep political unrest.
The lawmakers condemned what they saw as an “unacceptable normalisation of non-traditional sexual orientation” in recent “propaganda”, saying urgent action was needed.
Parliament took advantage of the “culture war” atmosphere surrounding the Paris Olympics to pass the reforms, said Denitsa Lyubenova, a lawyer at LGBTQ rights group Deistovye.
The Orthodox Church strongly condemned the show, which featured a large number of ethnic minorities, and Bulgaria also denounced Algerian boxer Imane Kherif and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yuting for representing the “opposite sex” at the Olympics.
The Balkan country does not recognise same-sex marriage or civil unions.
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