Empowering Change: Building Bulgaria’s LGBTQ+ Leadership Network
Author: Dimitar Keranov
The LGBTQ+ community in Bulgaria faces significant challenges, including marginalization, lack of legal recognition, and widespread discrimination. The country ranks low in Europe when it comes to the protection of LGBTQ+ rights.
Key issues include the absence of legal status for same-sex couples, limited support for local activists, and institutional discrimination. Hate speech and physical attacks are common, particularly in rural areas, and perpetuated by radical right-wing groups. The government does not collect data on such incidents, leading to them being underreported.
Igniting Hope
Social stigma remains prevalent, with widespread negative attitudes toward LGBTQ+ individuals in society. As a result, many of them relocate to the capital Sofia or abroad. Activists in other cities, such as Plovdiv and Varna, often lack the support and training to effectively address these issues.
Advocacy organizations like Bilitis and Glas strive to improve the situation through capacity-building and promoting tolerance. That is why, in 2023, they launched a project for creating a network of trained activists, supported by the Engaging Central Europe program of the German Marshall Fund of the United States.
The project’s key achievements include the successful completion of a Leadership Academy in February 2024, followed by continuous capacity-building for its graduates through online workshops and regular online coordination meetings, which further strengthened the network.
The Leadership Academy equipped 14 participants from Dupnitsa, Plovdiv, Varna, and Veliko Tarnovo with advocacy skills, legal knowledge, support systems for LGBTQ+ rights, and community-organization tools.
Voices of Inspiration
The success of the Leadership Academy is reflected in the feedback from participants, who shared their motivations for becoming community leaders.
“I found out about the Leadership Academy through Instagram and decided to join because I believe my city needs people who work in support of the community, even though I don’t think it is clearly defined.”
“I was motivated to participate in the Leadership Academy by the desire to improve the situation of LGBTQ+ people in Bulgaria, especially in Plovdiv. My goal is to ensure that the rights of all individuals, regardless of their characteristics, are recognized and respected by everyone!”
“I have always been outraged by many things, including social injustices. This whole experience transformed me into a person with an active civic stance who wants to make a change or at least participate in the small actions that form the foundation of positive change. Thus, when I saw the Instagram post about the Leadership Academy, I told myself that this is exactly what I need. I wanted to meet other like-minded people. I wanted to find more allies in my hometown.”
Building a Brighter Future
Participants in the Leadership Academy launched impactful local initiatives with targeted support from the Bilitis Foundation, thereby strengthening local LGBTQ+ communities.
In Varna, the newly formed collective QueerVarna, composed of Leadership Academy alumni, organized the first Queer Festival in the city. The festival included networking sessions, a queer literature lecture, and a drag show, attracting over 200 attendees.
In Plovdiv, a Leadership Academy participant founded the LGBTQ+ organization Pogled, which has established a community center. The organization has already secured a central location in the city and organized several successful community events, including Pride Month Art Workshops and a mini-festival.
In Veliko Tarnovo, participants from the Leadership Academy have collaborated with the collective Pokolenie Bunt, enhancing their intersectional approach. With support from Bilitis, they have initiated a queer support group called BraveLab VelikoTarnovo, which meets regularly.
Overall, the project has successfully expanded Bulgaria’s LGBTQ+ activism landscape, establishing long-term community assets and new spaces for inclusion across several key regions.