Jul 2

Written by: George Alexandrov
Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Bulgaria still has a long way to go when it comes to gay rights and acceptance by the society, even though it has one of the most liberal anti-discrimination laws (on paper) in Europe. But this past Saturday it made a big stride forward by having its first gay pride in Sofia. I was expecting it to be a failure having in mind the sad violence in other Eastern European prides such as in Poland, Serbia and Estonia.

My expectations were wrong! There were still many haters protesting. But the superb organization done by the Bulgarian Gay Organization proved rock-solid and guaranteed the successful conclusion of the parade. The Sofia police proved professionalism and dedication by doing a superb job in keeping the safety of the 150-200 participants (data by Gemini) and arresting numerous skin heads and other haters armed with molotovs, stones, etc. Last but not least, Boyko Borisov, the mayor of Sofia, has proved that he has balls and is a true European by allowing the parade despite heavy pressure by backwards politicians and the conservative church.

Now I feel a happier (or should I say gayer :-) Bulgarian! And I am looking forward to next year's even more successful parade with a thousand participants.

Love & Piece!

P.S. Watch coverage of the parade from three Bulgarian TV stations (in Bulgarian).

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