LGBT rights in Bulgaria
| LGBT rights in Bulgaria | |
|---|---|
Location of Bulgaria (dark green)
– in Europe (light green & dark grey) |
|
| Same-sex sexual activity legal? |
Legal since 1858 (as part of Ottoman Empire) Recriminaled 1878 Legal since 1968,age of consent equalized in 2002 |
| Gender identity/expression | (see below) |
| Military service | Gays and lesbians allowed to serve |
| Discrimination protections | Sexual orientation protections in all areas since 2003 (see below) |
| Family rights | |
| Recognition of relationships |
No recognition of same-sex relationships. |
|
Restrictions:
|
Same-sex marriage constitutionally banned. |
| Adoption | Single gay people can adopt |
– in Europe (light green & dark grey)
– in the European Union (light green) – [Legend]
Legal since 1858 (as part of Ottoman Empire) Recriminaled 1878
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons in Bulgaria may face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Both male and female same-sex sexual activity are legal in Bulgaria, but same-sex couples and households headed by same-sex couples are not eligible for the same legal protections available to opposite-sex couples.
Bulgaria, like most countries in Central and Eastern Europe, tends to be socially conservative when it comes to such issues as homosexuality.
Homosexuality was legalized in 1858 in all parts of Ottoman Empire, so Bulgaria as part of it legalized it too. After the Liberation of Bulgaria, homosexuality was recriminalized.
Following the Liberation of Bulgaria in 1878, the country's own penal code came into force on 1 May 1896, and homosexual acts between males over 16 years of age became punishable by at least 6 months of imprisonment. The Penal Code of 13 March 1951 increased the penalty to up to 3 years in jail. The revised Penal Code of 1 May 1968 removed the sections outlawing homosexual acts.
...
Wikipedia