SOFIA, BULGARIA -- Protesters rallied outside Bulgaria鈥檚 parliament on Thursday to denounce a controversial legal amendment adopted the day before that bans talk of LGBTQ2S+ and so-called non-traditional sexual choices in schools.
The protest was organized by feminist, LGBTQ2S+ and other rights groups calling for a reversal of that amendment, banning what supporters call 鈥淟GBTQ+ propaganda in schools鈥�.
Waving the rainbow flag, the protesters chanted slogans including 鈥淏ulgaria is no Russia鈥� and 鈥淪ilence means death鈥� as police officers guarded the rally. No violence was reported.
Bulgaria鈥檚 parliament on Wednesday approved the amendment to the country鈥檚 education legislation, introduced by the pro-Russian Vazrazhdane party and surprisingly, backed by some pro-European Union parties. The lawmakers in the 240-seat parliament voted 159 in favor of the change.
The amendment bans the 鈥減romotion, popularization and support of ideas and opinions related to non-traditional sexual orientation or sexual identification other than biological鈥� in schools.
In a separate vote Wednesday, lawmakers also approved a law defining 鈥渘on-traditional sexual orientation鈥� as one that is 鈥渄ifferent from the generally accepted and established notions in Bulgarian legal tradition of emotional, romantic, sexual or sensual attraction between persons of the opposite sex鈥�.
European Union member Bulgaria has been criticized for violating the rights of the LGBTQ2S+ community and has been urged to guarantee its recognition and protection. Bulgaria has also declined to ratify the Istanbul Convention on preventing violence against women, because of widespread belief it means to promote LGBTQ2S+ rights.
European rights groups, like the Belgium-based Forbidden Colors, condemned the legislation as an assault on the fundamental rights of LGBTQ2S+ individuals, particularly children.
鈥淚t is deeply troubling to see Bulgaria adopting tactics from Russia鈥檚 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,鈥� Forbidden Colors said in a statement on its website.
Similar anti-LGBTQ2S+ legislation has been passed in other countries in the region, including Hungary, Bosnia, Moldova and Turkey.
