Back to school with heavy heart under Bulgaria's anti-LGBTQ+ law

• New law bans teachers from "promoting" LGBTQ+ topics
• Bulgaria's crackdown follows in Russia's footsteps
• Activists fear further erosion of human rights

LONDON - Bulgarians go back to school on Monday under a tough, new anti-LGBTQ+ law, joining a wave of east and central European nations cracking down on gay rights in schools and society at large.

Following similar legislation in Russia, Hungary and Georgia, Bulgaria last month introduced a ban on the "propaganda, promotion, or incitement" of LGBTQ+ topics in all schools.

Slovakia's far-right party has announced plans to introduce its own ban this month, as LGBTQ+ rights come under increasing fire in parts of the old East Bloc.

For 34-year-old Ivan, a gay teacher in the Bulgarian capital Sofia, this means kicking off the new academic year with a deep sense of unease.

Unsure what he can now say to his pupils, Ivan said he worried about being true to himself in class.

"I'm still in shock. Probably some of my new students will ask me about my wedding ring and if I say that I have a husband, is that going to be propaganda?" Ivan, who asked to only be identified by his first name, told Context by phone from Sofia.

"I know that my principals will support me, but I don't know what parents will be like. They could accuse me of promoting my sexual orientation."

Bulgaria already ranks poorly for LGBTQ+ rights among European Union (EU) countries. Same-sex couples have no legal recognition in the country, and it is not possible to change gender.   

Now activists say it has hit a new low by joining some of its more hardline European neighbours in curtailing gay rights across the education system.

"What we saw with the Hungarian legislation is it had a chilling effect, it goes a lot further than just the word of the law," said Belinda Dear, senior advocacy officer at ILGA Europe, an advocacy group for LGBTQ+ people. 

"Russia is the pioneer, and we do expect more countries to jump on the bandwagon, unfortunately," Dear said.

"Reading the laws in Hungary, Georgia and Bulgaria - they're not identical, but it’s the same wording in different ways."

Revival on the rise

The amendment to the country's Pre-School and School Education Act was introduced by Revival, a far-right, pro-Russian party, the fourth biggest in parliament.

It passed after winning the surprise backing of a pro-EU party, the Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB), as politicians jockey for populist votes.

"We have a problem and it is a big problem (...) it is not humane and it is anti-human to promote non-traditional sex education in schools," Kostadin Kostadinov, chairman of Revival, was reported as telling parliament in August. 

The change sparked protests in the capital and across Europe, and hundreds of teachers signed a petition, saying the law was "completely incompatible" with the realities of school life.

In response, Revival published a list of the names and locations of 26 of the signatories, unleashing an onslaught of abuse online for many of those named.

The Prosecutor's Office in Varna has since launched an investigation into the move, to see whether there is evidence of a crime committed.

For Ivan, the next few months - and the fear of what might come next - may prove the final push for him to give up on Sofia and start a new life abroad with his husband and daughter.

Bulgaria already has one of the world's fastest shrinking populations, in part due to high levels of migration. 

"I was more for moving than my husband, but this whole environment at the moment, the political situation, has changed his mind," Ivan said.

"This is just the first step, there will be more changes. We just don't feel protected."

Political football

In October, the country will undergo its seventh general election in just over three years, with activists blaming the instability at the top for fuelling anti-LGBTQ+ propaganda.

"These policies and this legislation aren't responding to what society wants or needs. It's political tactic, usually ahead of elections," said Dear.

"It's a very easy and usual tactic done with minorities, migrants, refugees, and LGBTQ+ people. How to how to distract, how to divide."

A survey by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights - a group of legal experts, political and social scientists, statisticians, and communication specialists - showed a 5% increase in physical attacks on LGBTQ+ Bulgarians in 2023 compared to 2019.

The number of respondents who said they had encountered discrimination dropped over the same period, but the country still had the highest rate of incidents compared to other European countries.

Nasko Stamenov, a chemistry teacher who lives in Sofia, said he had been threatened for opposing the new anti-gay law, but was determined to keep speaking out.

He said that it was a privilege to live fear-free as a heterosexual man when his LGBTQ+ classmates feel cowed.

"I have had LGBTQ+ students who have shared their identity with me, and as a teacher, I answer the uncertainty they have - to tell them nothing is wrong with you," Stamenov, 32, said by phone.

"I am not afraid. What is the worst that will happen, I will get beaten up? I am a teacher. I will be in the hospital for some time and then I will go back and teach."

Russian blueprint

The change underway in Bulgaria has been compared to Russia, which criminalised the promotion of all LGBTQ+ issues in 2022, making it near impossible for non-heterosexual Russians to be open about their sexuality in any walk of life.

Since then, similar laws have been enacted in Hungary and Georgia, while Slovakia's far-right Slovak National Party (SNS) also plans an anti LGBTQ+ propaganda law in schools.

Teachers and activists say the wording of the amendment in Bulgaria is particularly worrying, due to its vague description of what actually constitutes "propaganda".

"It is written absurdly, which opens the doors to a lot of trouble," said language teacher Svetoslav Stoychev, 25, who also signed the petition.

"There is nothing like propaganda in our schools, so it is not necessary for it to exist."

A further amendment to the Child Protection Act is also under discussion - a move that activists fear may lead to a ban on LGBTQ+ "propaganda" well beyond the Bulgarian school system.

Teachers like Ivan fear the crackdown in schools could signal greater oppression ahead, and not just for gay men like him.

"I want people to realise this is not just a battle for the LGBTQ+ community, it is a battle for everyone. It just starts with us," Ivan said.

"Where does it stop? I will keep being visible, to show we are here, we exist and we are like anyone else."

(Reporting by Lucy Middleton; editing by Lyndsay Griffiths.)