Sofia Pride

Sofia Pride is urging candidates from political parties to endorse their pre-election declaration aimed at safeguarding equality for LGBTIQ+ individuals in Bulgaria. The organizers of the country's largest human rights event are calling for candidates to sign the declaration, which commits them to advocate for the rights and visibility of LGBTIQ+ people in the 51st National Assembly.

People attending the Pride Parade in Sofia, Bulgaria, 18 June 2022. Photo: EPA-EFE/VASSIL DONEV

On Thursday, the movie, telling the semi-autobiographical story of two 13-year old boys whose friendship turns sour after homophobic remarks at their school, will be screened in Sofia's Odeon hall.

Sofia Pride in June 2016. Photo: EPA/STR

Rainbow Hub, a venue for LGBT-related events in central Sofia, was entered and vandalised by a group of around ten people on Saturday.

Activist Gloriya Filipova, who was there at the time, told local media that she was punched in the face by Boyan Rassate, who she recognised. She also said he was carrying a knife.

A Bulgarian court has recognised a marriage between two women who married in France, the first time that a same-sex union has been acknowledged in the conservative country.

After a two-year court battle, Australian-born Cristina Palma has been granted the right to live and work in Bulgaria with her French wife Mariama Dialo, reports Pink News. 

This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of Stonewall, a pivotal moment in the movement for LGBTI rights. 2019 also marks the 51st anniversary of the decriminalization of homosexuality in Bulgaria and 16 years since the inclusion of the sexual orientation marker in the Protection against Discrimination Act.

Scandalous billboards with gay propaganda have angered in recent days residents of several big cities in Bulgaria. Same-sex couples are shot in front of key buildings - the National Assembly, the National Theater "Ivan Vazov", the National Palace of Culture.

The delegates at ILGA-Europe's 22nd Annual Conference, held in Brussels between October 24th and 27th, designated Sofia to host the largest political LGBTI forum in Europe in 2020. So the capital becomes the first European city to host the ILGA-Europe Annual Conference for the second time!

A Bulgarian court has backed the right of a same-sex married couple to reside in the country for the first time in a landmark ruling.

The Sofia City Administrative Court ruled that the French-Australian couple should be allowed to live in Bulgaria together, reports Australian TV network SBS.

Dnevnik.bg

Today Sofia Pride 2018 will be held under the motto "LGBTI people should lead a dignified life and be able to express themselves openly".

The program will begin with a concert at the Soviet Army Monument at 16:00, then a procession will start at 19:00. The concert and the procession are expected to take place under enhanced security measures.

Bulgarian MP Vesselin Mareshki has caused outrage for demanding that MPs reveal their sexual orientation - as a potential form of conflict of interest - together with whether they have alcohol or drug issues.