European Political Families Urged to Reprimand Bulgarian Members for Supporting Anti-LGBTIQ+ Law
Forbidden Colours, alongside several other EU-wide and Bulgarian NGOs, sent a letter to the leaders of European political families – ALDE, PES, and EPP – urging them to take immediate action against their Bulgarian member parties that supported the recent adoption of a draconian anti-LGBTIQ+ law. The letter calls for these political groups to demonstrate their commitment to European values by reprimanding the Bulgarian parties within their ranks that voted for the law and urging the European Commission to intervene.
On August 7, 2024, the Bulgarian parliament passed a law that bans the “propaganda, promotion, or incitement” of ideas related to non-traditional sexual orientation or gender identity in schools.
Despite widespread civil society opposition, President Rumen Radev signed the bill into law, marking Bulgaria as the second EU country to adopt a version of Russia’s infamous 2013 ‘anti-LGBT propaganda law.’
“Our message to the leadership of ALDE, PES, and EPP is clear: it is your responsibility to ensure that the fundamental values of the European Union are upheld by your member parties,” said Rémy Bonny, Executive Director of Forbidden Colours. “By supporting this law, these Bulgarian parties have violated the core principles of human dignity, equality, and respect for human rights that form the bedrock of our Union.”
The letter stresses that radical, far-right ideologies, like the ones influencing the Bulgarian law, pose a significant threat to European democracy. The involvement of GERB (EPP), the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (Renew Europe), and the Bulgarian Socialist Party (S&D) in passing this legislation calls into question their commitment to European values.
“Reprimanding these parties is essential not only to protect the rights of LGBTIQ+ people but also to preserve the integrity of the EU itself,” Bonny added. “Failure to act sends a dangerous signal that state-sponsored discrimination will be tolerated within European political families. We are calling on the leaders of these groups to make it clear that there is no place for Russian-inspired anti-LGBTIQ+ laws in our Union.”
The letter also urges the political families to request the European Commission to take all necessary measures to challenge and repeal this law, similar to the Commission’s actions against Hungary in 2021.
“Europe cannot allow itself to slide back into a state where discrimination and hatred dictate policy,” said Bonny. “The Bulgarian law is a direct import of Russian anti-LGBTIQ+ ideology, and it has no place in the European Union. It’s time for European political leaders to show unwavering commitment to the defense of human rights and the rights of children to comprehensive, safe education.”
This call for action comes as part of Forbidden Colours’ ongoing efforts to combat state-sponsored discrimination across the European Union and to ensure that the values of inclusion, dignity, and equality are upheld at every level.
The letter was co-signed by Forbidden Colours, Reclaim, the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, The Bulgarian Fund for Women, Deystvie and the Single Step Foundation.
