Bulgaria prohibits LGBT propaganda in educational institutions
Date
8/11/2024 7:31:26 AM
(MENAFN) The Bulgarian parliament has passed a significant amendment to the national Education Act, effectively banning the promotion of "non-traditional" sexual orientations and gender identities within schools and kindergartens. This legislation, approved after intense debates, has sparked considerable backlash from LGBT advocacy groups both within Bulgaria and across the European Union.
On Wednesday, the amendment secured approval in two readings, with 135 members of parliament in favor, 57 opposed, and eight abstentions. The legislation, primarily pushed by the nationalist Revival Party, received backing from a broad coalition of political groups, including the center-right GERB-SDS, the Bulgarian Socialist Party, and several centrist members of the DPS. The liberal PP-DB party was the sole parliamentary group to vote against the measure.
The new law prohibits the "propaganda, popularization, and incitement" of ideas related to sexual orientations and gender identities that deviate from traditional heterosexual norms. It defines non-traditional sexual orientations as those differing from heterosexual attraction and rejects any form of education or discussion on these topics within educational institutions.
Revival Party leader Kostadin Kostadinov criticized LGBT ideologies as "not humane" and argued that promoting such relationships in schools was detrimental. DPS MP Yordan Tsonev also voiced opposition, stating that such education had no place in schools and insisting that the bill was not an act of intolerance. Former Bulgarian Education Minister Krasimir Valchev further supported the ban, asserting that children should be shielded from such influences.
The European Union and various human rights organizations have condemned the new law, urging the European Commission to take action against Sofia. Critics argue that the legislation undermines fundamental human rights and inclusivity, raising concerns about its impact on LGBT individuals and the broader principles of equality and non-discrimination within the European Union.
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