From Struggle to Strength: LGBTQ+ Rights in Bulgaria

Bulgaria’s LGBTQ+ community faces significant legal and societal challenges. Discrimination, hate crimes, and a lack of legal protections are persistent issues, underscoring the urgent need for action. But despite these challenges, some notable achievements have recentlyoccurred. Tougher penalties for homophobic crimes have been enacted, and parliament has amended the criminal code to allow hate-crime legislation to include sexual orientation.

A 2023 European Court of Human Rights ruling in favor of a same-sex Bulgarian couple married in the United Kingdom was the first step toward recognizing same-sex relationships in Bulgaria. The country’s same-sex couples lack fundamental rights that their heterosexual counterparts enjoy, including to adopt, inherit, and conduct hospital visits. In 2023, Bulgaria’s supreme court rejected any possibility for transgender people to change documents associated with their identities.

No party represented in Bulgaria’s parliament includes LGBTQ+ rights in its agenda, and there is no openly LGBTQ+ politician in the country. Conservative attitudes toward homosexuality and transgender individuals continue to shape public discourse and policies. Bulgaria lacks clear governmental policies to protect LGBTQ+ people from discrimination and violence. As a result, questions have arisen concerning the dismantling of systemic discrimination, ensuring full legal recognition and protection for LGBTQ+ individuals and couples, and combating violence faced by LGBTQ+ individuals.

Please join our webinar on April 22 featuring the co-founders of two of Bulgaria’s leading LGBTQ+ organizations to discuss these critical issues and explore opportunities for action.To register, click on the button above.

For more information, contactDimitar Keranov at [email protected] or Asya Metodieva at [email protected]. 

The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) is a nonpartisan policy organization committed to the idea that the United States and Europe are stronger together.