When a dozen right-wing hooligans led by Bulgarian presidential candidate Boyan Rasate invaded the LGBT+ center “rainbow hub” during an event for the trans community, they destroyed years of hard work and the only safe space in Sofia for LGBT+ people.
But once again, Bulgarian LGBT+ people were not able to seek justice.
Hate crimes such as this one were not covered under the criminal code of Bulgaria. Therefore, they could only be prosecuted for hooliganism.
After the invasion, more than 25.000 All Out members jumped into action. Together with the activists on the ground, they demanded an update of the criminal code and that hate crimes against LGBT+ people must be investigated and prosecuted properly.
And it worked!
In July 2023, after years of work and public pressure from LGBT+ organizations in Bulgaria and abroad, the Bulgarian National Assembly finally included hate crimes based on sexual orientation to the country’s criminal code.
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