SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) 鈥� Tens of thousands of LGBTQ+ supporters took to the streets of and capitals on Saturday for their annual Pride parades, against a backdrop of rising opposition from conservative groups in the Orthodox Christian countries.
Marchers walked through Bucharest in Romania and Sofia in Bulgaria, waving colorful flags and blowing whistles and calling for equality.
Both Romania and Bulgaria joined the European Union in 2007. Ahead of accession to the bloc, both countries adopted human rights legislation to meet EU standards, despite public opinion polls often indicating a lack of support for the community compared with other EU countries.
In ILGA-Europe鈥檚 2025 Rainbow Map, which assesses the legal and policy landscape for LGBTQ+ people across Europe, Romania and Bulgaria ranked last among all 27 EU countries.
鈥淲e still have a deeply conservative society, with very strong traditional values,鈥� said Alina Purcaru, a writer who attended the Bucharest march. 鈥淲e still live in a patriarchy, sometimes explicit … with a lot of prejudice and a lot of fear.鈥�
Romania and Bulgaria do not recognize same-sex marriage or civil partnerships, despite the bloc prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation.
鈥淭hat is why we are taking to the streets today 鈥� to demand the legalization of civil partnerships,鈥� Vlad Viski, president of the nongovernmental organization MozaiQ, told The Associated Press.
鈥淲e are talking about essential rights, such as the right to inheritance, hospital visits, medical decisions, survivor鈥檚 pension,鈥� he added.
Simeon Vassilev, one of the organizers of Sofia Pride, told journalists on Saturday that in Bulgaria, 鈥渢housands of same-sex couples live together, build homes, raise children, and care for one another 鈥� without the right to legal protection or recognition of their relationships.”
In recent years, against the LGBTQ+ communities in the two Eastern European countries have been on the rise, according to rights groups. On Saturday, anti-LGBTQ+ rallies were held in both capitals.
In Sofia, a 鈥淢arch of the Family鈥� rally 鈥� set up by right-wing and religious groups in 2021 鈥� celebrated 鈥淐hristian, patriotic and traditional values鈥� in its Saturday event. The conservative Orthodox Church, which unites some 80% of Bulgarians, expressed its 鈥渄isagreement with the ideas and messages鈥� and blessed the 鈥渢raditional family.鈥� In Bucharest, a 鈥淢arch for Normality鈥� was also held by a nationalist group.
This year鈥檚 Pride event in Sofia was billed under a 鈥淒ifferent Together鈥� banner, with the organizers hoping to counter widespread rhetoric against the community.
Additionally, the 鈥淧rogressive Bulgaria鈥� party of Prime Minister Rumen Radev, which , voiced support for the 鈥淢arch of the Family鈥� in Parliament, saying that it鈥檚 鈥渁 cornerstone of our national security, identity and future.鈥�
The Bulgarian Helsinki Committee criticized the statement for 鈥減lacing one type of citizens as more valuable than others.鈥�
___
McGrath reported from Leamington Spa, England.
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
