LGBT rights in Bulgaria
LGBT people (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) in Bulgaria face significant challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Both male and female same-sex relationships 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. Discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation has been banned since 2004, with discrimination based on "gender change" being outlawed since 2015. In July 2019, a Bulgarian court recognized a same-sex marriage performed in France in a landmark ruling. For 2020, Bulgaria was ranked 37 of 49 European countries for LGBT rights protection by ILGA-Europe. Like most countries in Central and Eastern Europe, post-Communist Bulgaria holds socially conservative attitudes when it comes to such matters as homosexuality and transgender people.
LGBT rights in Bulgaria | |
|---|---|
Location of Bulgaria (dark green) – in Europe (light green & dark grey) | |
| Status | Legal from 1858 (as part of the Ottoman Empire) to 1879 Legal since 1968, age of consent equalized in 2002 |
| Gender identity | Transgender individuals not allowed to change their legal gender due to a supreme court ruling in 2023 |
| Military | Homosexual men, women, and bisexual people are allowed to serve |
| Discrimination protections | Protections in all areas since 2004 and 2015 (see below) |
| Family rights | |
| Recognition of relationships | No recognition of same-sex relationships |
| Restrictions | Same-sex marriage constitutionally banned |
| Adoption | Single LGBT individuals can adopt |