Approximately 100 people participated in the seventh installment of Sofia Pride in Bulgaria, but marchers were prevented from making their way toward a prominent city-centre monument because of protesters from a nationalist party, Gay Star News reports.
Pride participants, who marched under heavy police protection, called for legislators and churches to respect their rights, the report notes. But on the eve of the event, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church condemned it, calling it a “march of proud sin.”
A number of foreign ambassadors released a joint statement, saying they supported the march. The statement says, in part, that equality for LGBT people is a significant marker of a respectful society.
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