site.btaParliament Bans Propaganda of "Non-traditional" Sexual Orientation in Pre-school, School Education

On Wednesday, Bulgaria's National Assembly voted, 135-57 with eight abstentions, to ban the propaganda, promotion or incitement, in the education system in any way, directly or indirectly, of any ideas and views related to non-traditional sexual orientation and/or gender identity other than the biological sex. The MPs debated for about four hours amendments to the Pre-school and School Education Act moved by Vazrazhdane. Both readings took place during the same plenary sitting.

"Non-traditional sexual orientation" is defined as "notions of emotional, romantic, sexual, sensual attraction of persons of opposite sexes that are different from such notions as commonly accepted and established in the Bulgarian legal tradition".

Georgi Georgiev MP of GERB-UDF objected to the definition, arguing that it is at odds with EU documents and with Bulgaria's Constitution. The adopted definition does not exist in any EU Member State, he said, and asked that it should be dropped. The motion was rejected and the definition of non-traditional sexual orientation stayed.

No negative opinions have been submitted concerning this part of the bill, said Vazrazhdane Floor Leader Kostadin Kostadinov, who is one of the sponsors of the bill.

Kostadinov said the passage of the amendments was a historic breakthrough. "It emerged that at the end of the second reading in plenary, two breaks were requested during which foreign embassies apparently tried to exert pressure on Bulgaria, but the bill was adopted anyway. This law defines the term of non-traditional sexual orientation, which is a new European practice, because in the last few decades the argument that there is no traditional and non-traditional sexual orientation has gradually started to be promoted in the EU, the US and Canada. What they have tried to impose for decades has just crashed in Bulgaria. Thus, Bulgaria has set a positive example which may be followed by other countries very soon," he also said.

The MPs also banned the imposition of ideological and/or religious doctrines in pre-school and school education. Until now, the law stipulated that the imposition of such doctrines is not allowed.