Gay Guide Bulgaria

In Bulgaria, the age of consent for all (sexual orientations) is 14 years. Under certain circumstances, however, sex among men younger than 18 can be punished, so be cautious. There are no registered partnerships. In 1991, the Constitution was amended to define marriage as an alliance between men and women exclusively. Since 2004, a law to protect homosexuals against discrimination has been in force, including transsexuals since 2015. Hate crimes against LGBT do not exist in the Bulgarian Criminal Code - but in reality they do. In a survey conducted by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, Bulgaria was attested the second highest number of homophobic behaviour of the population after Croatia. The gay scene is small but staedily growing. There are now some cities that offer meeting places for gays, but only in Sofia there are designated gay saunas. Even in the capital, homophobia is widespread among some groups in the population. There is generally a conservative attitude as a basis, but the younger generation is more likely to accept homosexuality and tolerance is increasing in other age groups as well. Unfortunately, politicians are still not making any effort to address the problems of the LGBT community. In the media homosexuality is still described and portrayed as unnatural behaviour, but gays and lesbians find greater support on the internet. Extremists attacked the first Gay Pride in Sofia on 28 June 2008 throwing stones, bottles and molotov cocktails. About 150 demonstrators had to be protected by the police. Since then the Pride fortunately takes place every year without any further incidents. In 2017 more than 3000 participants were joining the Pride, a queer film and art festival took place in addition to it. Bulgaria is famous for its Black Sea coast, beautiful mountain landscapes and forests; budget prices also attract a certain kind of visitors.