The MPs have banned talking about different sexual orientation and gender identity in schools. This happened after changes to the Law on School and Preschool Education were voted on in the first and second reading. “The case is not dramatic. It is entirely political. The LGBT movement as a political movement talks about equality, freedoms and human rights as its political gum“, commented Kristian Shkvarek, chairman of the “Conservative Society“ foundation, on bTV. and "Family Month" association.
„A political ideology has been told that schools must remain politically neutral. That's all”, he pointed out.
„If there was an opportunity to continue implementing textbooks and materials related to these types of topics, it would politicize the school,” added Shkvarek.
„It is not propaganda to know that there are people with different sexual orientation. I am convinced that most students in Bulgaria know and will know about the existence of such people. Tolerance and respect for others is not propaganda. What is prohibited is the specific political propaganda of the LGBT movement, which goes through certain postulates about sexuality, about relationships between people, which each of us can see currently being taught in Western countries and they have taken over educational institutions. I give an example - that sexuality is a spectrum. The fact that it is possible for a man to change his gender and become a woman, because gender is not biological, but a social construct. These are postulates, added the chairman of the Conservative Society.
After the discussion in the National Assembly, a protest was organized by young people. There will be a demonstration today as well.
According to Ivan Dimov, founder of the “Single Step” foundation, the law does not define the term “propaganda”.
„We ask ourselves what are the consequences of this law? Is teaching Oscar Wilde in school propaganda? Is a teacher who is part of the community propaganda? If students play Lady Gaga's song “Born This Way” (Lady Gaga – Born this way) – what does this mean? Is this propaganda? Will the students be punished? This law contradicts a number of Bulgarian laws and European conventions”, Dimov is categorical.
„This is a copy, rewritten law from the Russian law on gay propaganda, which was passed in 2013. A similar one was then adopted in Hungary, Georgia and Slovakia. This is not a law that is independent, but part of political propaganda and copied from the Russian one, he explained.
„Our survey, which ended on July 30, was 100% online. We have not entered schools. It was anonymous and voluntary. The posters were not in schools, but in our space. This is speculation. We have never distributed materials in schools. The big problem is school violence. These children feel in danger. We will seek to have this law overturned in court. I have no doubt that it will not exist in a few years”, Ivan Dimov also said.