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‘I got punched in the face by a presidential candidate’ says LGBTIQ activist in Bulgaria

Attacks against LGBTIQ people in Bulgaria are on the rise. The government needs to recognise them for what they are: hate crimes, not hooliganism

By Gloriya Filipova
‘I got punched in the face by a presidential candidate’ says LGBTIQ activist in Bulgaria
Pride parade in support of LGBT rights in Sofia, Bulgaria, June 2021 | Emil Djumailiev djumandji / Alamy Stock Photo. All rights reserved
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My biggest fear came true on 30 October. Our second home, the Rainbow Hub – a safe space where the LGBTIQ community in Bulgaria can find support – was brutally attacked by a group of nationalists led by a far-Right presidential candidate known as Boyan Rasate. 

The attack opens many questions. How will we recover as a community? What led to this attack? When will the country’s institutions take the issue of anti-LGBTIQ hate crimes seriously?

Bulgarian law does not recognise anti-LGBTIQ attacks as a hate crime. LGBTIQ activists have been pushing for this change for almost 20 years, but without success. 

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