site.btaUPDATED President Decrees Promulgation of Amendments to Law that Ban "Propaganda of Non-Traditional Sex Orientation"

President Rumen Radev has signed a decree on the promulgation of amendments to the Pre-School and School Education Act, that ban "propaganda of non-traditional sex orientation". The President thus expressed his attitude towards the Act, the presidential press secretariat said Thursday. 

On August 7, 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. 

Earlier this week, over 7,000 people and 76 NGOs urged President Rumen Radev to veto the ban. On August 8, Bulgarian Orthodox Church expressed satisfaction with the ban. On August 12, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O'Flaherty, urged President Rumen Radev not to sign the ban on "propaganda of non-traditional sexual orientation". He also urged the Bulgarian authorities to tackle the discrimination of LGBTQ people. The bill was also in the focus of a discussion during a joint meeting of the parliamentary committee of demographic policy, children and family and the committee of youth and sport, with the participation of various organizations.

"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".