{"id":8023,"date":"2025-02-25T14:53:49","date_gmt":"2025-02-25T11:53:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/boldbg.net\/?p=8023"},"modified":"2025-02-25T20:31:13","modified_gmt":"2025-02-25T17:31:13","slug":"bolds-position-against-the-ban-on-lgbt-propaganda-in-schools","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/boldbg.net\/en\/2025\/02\/25\/bolds-position-against-the-ban-on-lgbt-propaganda-in-schools\/","title":{"rendered":"BOLD’s Position against the Ban on LGBT Propaganda in Schools"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

9 August 2024<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bulgarian Community for Liberal Democracy (BOLD) strongly condemns the adoption by the National Assembly of a bill to amend the Preschool and School Education Act, which bans “propaganda, promotion or incitement” of “non-traditional sexual orientation” and “defining gender identity other than biological” in Bulgarian schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new provisions contradict a number of norms of the Bulgarian and international legal order, including the Constitution, the Law on Protection against Discrimination, the Charter of Fundamental Rights that binds EU member states, the European Convention on Human Rights, and several UN treaties to which Bulgaria is a party. The newly adopted norms violate a number of fundamental rights and freedoms: the right to privacy; freedom from discrimination; access to information; freedom of expression; freedom from all forms of violence; and the right to education. The explanatory memorandum to the draft law lacks any reference to fundamental human rights, as well as to the scientific evidence, whereas the latter clearly shows that sexual orientation and gender identity are not subject to change as a result of ‘incitement’ or ‘propaganda’, and, like other stable, immutable characteristics, such as skin colour or eye shape, cannot be replaced by means of propaganda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the comments around the adoption of the law, opinions were expressed to the effect that there is no intolerance or discrimination in Bulgaria; however, there has been a regular lack of reaction from MPs and representatives of the executive against the numerous hate and homophobic crimes in recent years. This shows a deep misunderstanding of the social reality in Bulgaria and the use of education laws to draw dividing lines and further marginalise communities. Actions in this direction are contrary to European values and in line with the anti-democratic actions of autocratic regimes such as those in Russia and Hungary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The adoption of the bill is another step backwards for Bulgarian liberal democracy. Democracy is not a tyranny of the majority, or when two wolves and a sheep decide with a majority what to have for dinner. Democratic values include clear and unequivocal guarantees for the protection of minorities, including sexual minorities, and the protection of citizens who find themselves in a situation of vulnerability, such as LGBT people. Voting on both readings on the same day, in the middle of summer and on the eve of the seventh general election in four years, suggests a sense of extreme urgency, which leads us to ask whether MPs really consider this to be the biggest problem of Bulgarian education, or whether the real aim of the bill is cheap populism on the back of one of the most vulnerable groups in society. In a deeply divided society, extremely low voter turnout and the inability of party representation to elect a regular cabinet, this is an abuse of democratic institutions and further undermines public confidence in them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While in other free countries schools are creating strategies for the full inclusion of LGBTI students and for combating homophobia and transphobia, Bulgarian schools are becoming taboo environments. An environment where violence and bullying flourish and where different people are viewed with contempt and rejection. An environment in which adolescents are deprived of health and sex education and are thus exposed to unpredictable risks due to the inability to receive adequate information at school on topics concerning their identity, sexual orientation, health status, etc. An environment in which the values of equality, tolerance and non-discrimination are replaced by hateful ideas imposed by foreign interests and their subordinate Bulgarian parties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Extremely worrying is not only the adoption of the bill itself, but also the fact that it met almost full support from the MPs. In addition to the sponsors from the ‘Revival’ party, a party known for its anti-European views and values contrary to human rights, the bill was also supported by the MPs from seemingly pro-European parties, such as GERB and DPS, and the left-wing BSP. At the first reading and during the examination in the Education Committee, even members of the PPPDB dared to vote in favour of or abstain on this odious bill, and during the debate in the Chamber, technical arguments such as ‘the terms are imprecise’ prevailed, rather than arguments based on human rights principles. In practice, the vote shows that the Bulgarian Parliament lacks a clear and consistent representation of liberal democratic ideas and human rights values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We call on the President of the Republic of Bulgaria to veto the changes in the law, and we call on the MPs to repeal the new provisions as a matter of urgency and to focus their efforts on the real problems at all levels in the country, instead of using the institution of the parliament to create enemies and fight non-existent threats through which to gain political dividends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you would like to join a petition calling on the President to veto the bill, you can do so at this link:<\/em><\/strong>https:\/\/docs.google.com\/forms\/d\/e\/1FAIpQLSdLWR4QWIBrOLkxCJ8OI_ACfMNZDRhGFtOIPtoQi9I_FzOIcw\/viewform<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Bulgarian Community for Liberal Democracy (BOLD) strongly condemns the adoption by the National Assembly of a bill to amend the Preschool and School Education Act, which bans “propaganda, promotion or incitement” of “non-traditional sexual orientation” and “defining gender identity other than biological” in Bulgarian schools.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":7951,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[101],"tags":[134],"yoast_head":"\nBOLD's Position against the Ban on LGBT Propaganda in Schools - \u0411\u041e\u041b\u0414<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/boldbg.net\/en\/2025\/02\/25\/bolds-position-against-the-ban-on-lgbt-propaganda-in-schools\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"BOLD's Position against the Ban on LGBT Propaganda in Schools - 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