Bulgaria

Community

Social events, entertainment, bars, festivals, cafes, bookstores, etc.

Sofia

  • There is a thriving queer scene in Sofia.” (’18-’19 Fulbrighter)

  • Festivals

  • Bars, Clubs, & Restaurants

    • Tell Me Bar- dance/night club

    • One To One- dance/night club

    • Essence Bar- lesbian bar

    • The Wrong Bar- Not queer, but modern

    • Kanall- Craft Beer Bar

    • Rainbow Factory- A café/restaurant; not an explicitly queer business, but young queer individuals often come here.

    • “Other restaurants to check out (not explicitly queer or queer friendly, but great food): Raketa Rakia Bar, Supa Star, Made in Home, The Little Things, Divaka, Sun & Moon (Vegetarian), Ashurbanipal, Chevermeto, Hlebar (amazing banitsa here).” (‘17-’19 Fulbrighter)

  • Other Spaces

  • SPACES TO AVOID

    • “Petuk (Bar Friday) Sofia, Bulgaria - There have been several instances here with queer and POC Fulbrighters. The crowd is young, but your experience there will vary based on the opinions of people that are present, so it is best to avoid it completely.” (‘17-’19 Fulbrighter)

    • “Vasil Levski National Stadium – Not safe for POC or queer Fulbrighters. Do not go to sporting events here. During sporting events nationalists pop up and people have been known to get hurt. Normally during games there are officers set up around the stadium.” (‘17-’19 Fulbrighter)

Political/Social Environment

Resources assessing queer- and trans-friendliness in your country

  • “In general, Bulgaria maintains a strong sense of traditionalism and some degree of social and cultural conservatism. However, many young Bulgarians embrace progressive politics and there are very well organized queer nonprofits in Sofia. As a queer cis man, I felt comfortable being openly and visibly queer and was inspired by the community I found.” (’18-’19 Fulbrighter)

  • “It depends on where you are. Sofia downtown is the safest and most open part of the city. Sofia in general is more tolerant, followed by Plovdiv. There is still much prejudice and intolerance everywhere in Bulgaria. The anti-LGBTIQ rhetoric is omnipresent in the media.”
    (Representative from GLAS to a ‘19-’20 Fulbrighter)

  • “I can’t say much about this, but in my own words, Bulgaria tends to be not very queer/trans friendly. However, the capital of Sofia is more diverse, and people are much more open.”
    (Representative from Single Step to a ‘19-’20 Fulbrighter)

  • View additional perspectives on being LGBTQ in Bulgaria here, here, and here.

  • GLAS Foundation- Works for equality and acceptance of LGBTQ people in Bulgaria, through campaigns and projects promoting understanding.

  • Bilitis Foundation – Offers support services for LGBTQ individuals related to education, employment, family, political asylum, health, and the legal system.

  • Community and Support Centers

Legal

Laws that are accepting or discriminatory and legal resources specifically for LGBTQ persons

  • “Consensual sexual activity between individuals of the same sex has been legal in Bulgaria since 1968. According to Article 4 of the Law on Protection Against Discrimination (2003):

    • ‘(1) Any direct or indirect discrimination on the grounds of sex, race, nationality, ethnic origin, citizenship, origin, religion or belief, education, opinions, political belonging, personal or public status, disability, age, sexual orientation, marital status, property status, or on any other grounds, established by the law, or by international treaties to which the Republic of Bulgaria is a party, is forbidden.

    • ‘(10) “Sexual orientation” shall mean heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual orientation.’” (‘19-’20 Fulbrighter)

  • “The Bulgarian Penal Code does not consider homophobia/biphobia/transphobia to be aggravating motives in hate crimes, unlike motives related to race, ethnicity, religion, etc. There are also no laws regulating civil partnerships or rights to marry people of the same sex. Current laws give little recognition to transgender and nonbinary people. (Read more here.)” (‘19-’20 Fulbrighter)

  • Bulgarian Helsinki Committee- A nonprofit legal and advocacy organization for the protection of human rights in Bulgaria. Founded on 14 July, 1992 in Sofia, Bulgaria. This org has done work on queer legal protections.

  • LGBTDeystvie – provides pro-bono legal services, organizes awareness campaigns and events, and advocates for legislative change at the local and national level.

  • Single Step Foundation- provides legal support for LGBTQ+ people focusing on transgender issues and legal rights of same sex couples.

Housing

Health

Medical resources for LGBTQ persons in your community (special clinics, testing, treatment, pharmacies, etc.)

  • Anna Joukivskaia - Queer friendly personal therapy/counseling.

    • “Highly recommended! She is based in Sofia, but is willing to do virtual sessions with individuals in other cities. Anna has over 15 years of experience and runs her own private practice. She also serves as Single Step's Psychologist and Psychological Support Coordinator.” (‘17-’19 Fulbrighter)

    • Contact Email

  • “CheckPoint Sofia (Health Without Borders) at Tsar Samuil 111, Sofia, Bulgaria is a nonprofit. The medical centre offers counselling, testing, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STI’s) and HIV/AIDS. The friendly environment allows for working with youth and people at risk.” (‘18-’19 Fulbrighter)

  • The Steps Center by the Single Step Foundation- A Sexual Health and HIV program to support anyone who needs help or information related to sexual practices, STIs, and HIV, including men who have sex with men (MSM). The program provides emotional support and counsels people who are at high risk of contracting HIV (as well as people living with HIV) on how to navigate the healthcare system to initiate antiretroviral treatment (ART). The staff at the center offer counseling services in English.

  • “You can also ask the Fulbright Commission for recommendations as they know of English speaking mental health professionals in the country.” (‘17-’19 Fulbrighter)

Culture

Podcasts, literature, movies, music, etc.

  • “Usually the gateway to access cultural events and resources for the community are the local organizations. There are several LGBTQ+ NGOs and each holds various events – literature events (reading club), parties, board games, drag shows. There isn’t a single catalogue of all events happening, but it all can be accessed on social media or through an organization.” (Representative from Single Step to a ‘19-’20 Fulbrighter)

  • Azis- One of Bulgaria’s biggest music stars and a Chalga musician; has spoken about the intersection between being Roma and openly queer.

  • Julieta Intergalactica

  • The Bulgarian History Podcast

  • Krisina

  • Sofia Tonight

  • What Belongs to You by Garth Greenwell- A novel about a gay American man who, while teaching abroad in Bulgaria, starts a type of relationship with a Bulgarian man he meets under sketchy circumstances.

  • East of the West by Miroslav Penkov: Not LGBTQ, but such an amazing book that can really give you some basic insights to culture in Bulgaria through short stories.

Language

How to include trans/gender-nonbinary people in conversations in your country’s language(s)

  • “The Bulgarian language is not yet very well developed in terms of addressing various gender identities. However, the local queer community itself is familiar with the language adopting words from English. 

    • Trans people = транс хора

    • Trans man = транс мъж

    • Trans woman = транс жена 

    • Non-binary = небинарен

    As more people come out as non-binary, most assume the pronoun “they” (те) while others may switch between “she” (тя) and “he” (той). The word “gender” (джендър) is often used as a slur to belittle LGBTIQ and gender nonconforming people.” (‘19-’20 Fulbrighter)

  • “The English word gender (джендър), in its direct transliteration is currently being used in Bulgaria as an insult of sorts. Bulgaria chose not to adopt the principles of the Istanbul Convention because of its use of the terms ‘gender based violence.’ Conservative politicians believed that adopting these principles would lead to forcing Bulgaria to accept genders outside the binary and legalize gay marriage.” (‘17-’19 Fulbrighter)

  • “Derogatory words for queer individuals: Pederast (педераст) - the word means pedophile in Bulgarian.” (‘17-’19 Fulbrighter)

Race & Ethnicity

  • “There are different groups of people coming from ethnically diverse backgrounds, but they are rather closed communities. LGBTIQ people of color [in Bulgaria] do not have a specific organization.” (Representative from Single Step to a ‘19-’20 Fulbrighter)

  • “The local queer community here [in Sofia] is predominantly white and not very diverse, except for the Roma community, which in general is quite inclusive of LGBTIQ people. Around the alternative and left-oriented space Fabrika Avtonomia, there is a discussion going on [about] how to include and defend Roma people’s rights as well into LGBTIQ fights.” (Representative from GLAS to a ‘19-’20 Fulbrighter)

Religion & Spirituality

  • “Religion and queerness have no intersection here. Some queer people though consider themselves spiritual and have their own individual forms of connecting with the spiritual outside of established religious channels.” (Representative from GLAS to a ‘19-’20 Fulbrighter)

  • “If you have a question or need help with anything going on in your community, do not be afraid to ask the commission. They are very supportive and want to help you succeed during your time in country. Also, do not be afraid to be yourself. While there are not many openly queer individuals in smaller cities you may be teaching or conducting research in, it is best to be genuine in all of your encounters. I found that even though I had some students and community members that weren't too fond of my queer otherness, my best interactions came when I asked people why they felt a certain way and ACTUALLY LISTENED. Listening can foster conversations that you may not have had otherwise and cause you to be listened to in return. I will say that I was never explicitly out with students or faculty, but there are other ways to advocate for yourself without disclosing. Unfortunately, I would say it is not a good idea to disclose your orientation at your place of work because it may affect your relationship with less than approving faculty which will make your time there harder.” (‘17-’19 Fulbrighter)

Other Advice