The United Nations on Friday urged Bulgaria to reconsider a recent law aimed at curbing LGBT+ "propaganda" in schools.
The UN is deeply concerned about the adoption of a statutory amendment in Bulgaria prohibiting any discussion on sexual orientation and gender identity in schools, said Elizabeth Throssell, a spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. She pressed for the law to be urgently reexamined against Bulgaria’s international obligations.
Bulgarian President Rumen Radev enacted the law, modelled on similar laws from Russia and Hungary, on Thursday. It forbids schools from "encouraging" non-traditional sexual orientations and gender identities differing from one's biological sex.
The Bulgarian head of state, considered close to Moscow, ignored pleas from NGOs and the Council of Europe to veto the law to prevent it from coming into effect.
In its statement, the UN argued that the law contradicts Bulgaria’s constitutional guarantees and its commitments under international human rights treaties to ensure equality, non-discrimination, and freedom of expression.
Noted for widespread hostility towards LGBT+ individuals, Bulgaria does not recognise same-sex marriages or civil partnerships.
The Eastern European country, which has been marred by significant political instability, is set to hold elections this autumn for the seventh time since 2021.
