Bulgarian Far-Rights to March against Gays on Sofia Pride Day

2011's Sofia Pride gay parade went without incidents or provocations. Photo by BGNES

Several Bulgarian far-right parties are to stage a rally against the Sofia Pride LGBT parade that is scheduled to take place in the Bulgarian capital on Saturday, it has been confirmed.

The homophobic rally is scheduled for 10 am on Saturday in front of Sofia's National Palace of Culture. It is organized by Ataka (Attack), VMRO, Bulgarian National Union and several other marginal far-right formations.

This year's Sofia Pride is to start at 4:00 pm on the same day in front of Sofia's soviet army monument.

Ataka MP Desislav Chukolov has told reporters that his party wants all candidates for elective offices in the country to be obliged to reveal their sexual orientation.

"And everyone should say whether they are members of a secret Masonic order. These things should be made clear for all voters," he added.

In previous years, two Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride parades in the Balkan country have been marred by violent attacks on participants.

This year's event has already been marred by a homophobic statement on behalf of Father Evgeni Yanakiev from the Sliven eparchy, who claimed that "throwing stones at gays."

The Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church failed to condemn the statement. Instead, it confirmed the Church's firm opposition to such "immoral manifestations," and its immutable conviction that homosexuality is "an unnatural lust which unconditionally harms both the personality of those who commit it and the society as a whole."

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