“Different Together” is the motto which, this June, once again brings together tens of thousands of citizens in some of the largest initiatives dedicated to human rights in Bulgaria. The events, organised by activists from the LGBTIQ+ communities, have become a symbol of solidarity and determination to uphold democratic values and human rights.
Two decades after Bulgaria’s accession as a full member of the European Union, our society continues to be slow in narrowing the gap with many countries in united Europe, both in terms of economic prosperity and in terms of fundamental values and attitudes related to respect for human rights.
Bulgaria is among the countries where some of the highest levels of discrimination against LGBTIQ+ people in Europe are consistently recorded. According to data from the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights, every second person in this community has felt discriminated against in the previous year.
Over the last 10 years studies by the Open Society Institute – Sofia have identified a worrying trend of significant growth in hostile speech directed towards LGBTIQ+ people. While in 2016, among the adult population, one in five indicated hearing hate speech against LGBTIQ+ people, in 2018 this share was twice as high, and in 2023 it reached almost two thirds.
Some of the factors contributing to the increase in hostile speech against LGBTIQ+ people are the escalation of negative narratives and disinformation in recent years, populist messages spreading with growing intensity in the context of prolonged political instability, as well as legislative restrictions like the 2024 ban on discussing topics related to sexual orientation and gender identity in schools. These restrictions undermine fundamental achievements of democratic societies, such as the right to freedom of expression, self-identification and identity in general.
The studies of the Open Society Institute – Sofia show high levels of prejudice towards representatives of various minority groups, including people with disabilities and ethnic communities different from the majority. However, social distances towards LGBTIQ+ people are the greatest. According to a 2025 survey, in a hypothetical choice between two presidential candidates with the same political views and qualities, five out of six respondents would prefer a candidate who does not self-identify as part of the LGBTI community. Only 8% would be willing to accept such a candidate, while another 8% are unsure what position they would take.
Eurobarometer survey data confirm that, among the EU-27 countries, Bulgarian society shows the highest degree of reservation towards LGBTIQ+ people occupying the highest elected political offices. While, on average across Member States, clear majorities of between 58% and 68% of citizens say they would feel comfortable with the highest-ranking national leaders belonging to LGBTIQ+ communities, in Bulgaria approximately 60% of the adult population state that they would definitely feel uncomfortable if a person identifying as LGBTIQ+ were to hold the highest elected office in the country.
Geopolitical analysis of social attitudes in Europe shows that among the key factors for tolerant attitudes towards LGBTIQ+ people are high levels of democratisation, secularisation, economic development and a culture of self-expression. In societies with established liberal democracies, openness to accepting differences is significantly higher compared to the young and insufficiently consolidated democracies of the Old Continent, such as Bulgaria.
The full text of the analysis can be found here.
About the research
This analysis also draws on data from a nationally representative public opinion survey conducted among the country’s adult population between 6 and 16 September 2025, using direct, standardized, tablet‑assisted interviews carried out in respondents’ homes. Respondents were selected through a two‑stage stratified sample by region and type of settlement, with quotas for sex, age, and education. A total of 1,000 valid interviews were completed. The maximum stochastic error at a 95% confidence level and a 50% proportion is ±3.1%. The fieldwork was conducted by Alpha Research, commissioned and funded by the Open Society Institute – Sofia.
