site.btaAssociation of European Journalists Slams Ban on Propaganda of Non-traditional Sexual Orientation at School as "Toeing Moscow's Line"

In a position released on Thursday, the Association of European Journalists – Bulgaria (AEJ) pointed out that the amendments to the Pre-school and School Education Act passed by Bulgaria's Parliament on Wednesday "not only contravene the Constitution, the European Convention on Human Rights and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child but bear amazing resemblance to measures taken by the authoritarian regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin." 

The NGO argues that the bill "toes Moscow's ideological line of curbing the rights of LGBTI people, persecuting and punishing the members of the community and their advocates". The AEJ is surprised that the draft legislation was backed even by MPs who assert their pro-European views, such as GERB and independents formerly of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, and sees this as a "deplorable manifestation of political inconsistency and opportunism".

"By voting through the Vazrazhdane bill, the Bulgarian lawmakers did a favour to that pro-Russian party and indirectly to the Putin regime," the position states.

"The law as adopted puts Bulgaria in a vulnerable position among its EU partners and gives rise to serious doubts about the ability of its political class to oppose anti-European attacks," the AEJ says. "It can be viewed as a breach of national security and strongly jeopardizes Bulgaria's reliability as member of NATO and other international organizations."

The NGO insists that the bill passed denies the constitutional right to seek, obtain and disseminate information to some 700,000 Bulgarian citizens who are currently pupils and disables biology and psychology teachers to advise their pupils on matters important to every young person, transferring this responsibility to "casual acquaintances, dubious websites and even porn movies".

The Association calls on the MPs of the 50th National Assembly to immediately reconsider and repeal the revisions adopted.

The position is drawn up jointly by and coordinated with the GLAS Foundation, the Bilitis Foundation, the Shalom Organization of the Jews in Bulgaria, and the Pro-European Network Association (Roma for Democracy Foundation).