Intro: Like many other eastern European countries, Bulgaria is in the throes of changing from a dim Soviet satellite to a free thinking-free enterprise nation of progress. Included in this shift are new laws protecting homosexuals. A drive through the countryside and some talks with LGBT folks in Sofia provided many images and insights into the old and new ways of modern Bulgaria.
Homosexual sex was legalised in 1968, making Bulgaria one of the first Eastern European countries to legalize gay sex. In 2002, the age of consent was equalized with that for heterosexual sex. There is no law against gays. All discrimination in law was abolished in 2002, except for laws on male prostitution. An anti-discrimination law, the Protection Against Discrimination Act, has existed since 2003. It prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in all areas, including employment, the provision of goods and services, housing and education. Bulgaria, like most countries in Eastern Europe, tends to be socially conservative when it comes to such issues as homosexuality. However, the independent private media occasionally report on gay events, the national and the private television channels have cast films with gay themes, and gay-themed movies are shown in the cinemas. In addition, some famous Bulgarians have come out, suggesting that gay men and lesbians are becoming more visible in Bulgaria. The main LGBT rights organization in Bulgaria is BGO Gemini. The Bulgarian gay organization Gemini is a national advocacy organization, non-profit public entity based on membership principle, founded in 1992.
Name: Bulgaria
Population: 7932984
Capital: Sofia - Pop. 1400000
Area: 110914 sq. km/ sq. miles
Language: Bulgarian
Religion: Bulgarian Orthodox
Status of Homosexuality: Legal
Telephone Country Code: 359
