Today was the Pride in Bulgaria,

it happened in Sofia, the capital of the country. One of the people taking part in this year's Pride was Dara, Bulgaria's Eurovision winner this year. I just want to say that I'm super proud of her because Bulgaria is still probably the most homophobic country in the European Union, and she knew very well that by participating she would receive a lot of hate. Overall, the Pride itself faced a lot of opposition. There was literally a counter-event called the "Parade for the Traditional Bulgarian Family," led by the church and various public figures who are constantly trying to villainize Pride, take the spotlight away from it, and paint it in a negative light. Honestly, though, I think they're doing the opposite. Despite that, there were so many hateful comments online. Dara is a very sweet and delicate girl, and although she knew what was coming, it still affected her. She shared some of the comments on her Instagram stories. People were writing things like, "I supported you until now, but I'm done with you," "You're disgusting," and many even worse things. So yes, that's how Pride went in Bulgaria this year. Despite the hate, despite the opposition, it still happened. It brought together people who want to be free, who want to fight for their rights, and who simply want to spend one beautiful day together. By the way, this counter-protest was publicly supported by the current ruling party, Progressive Bulgaria. Ironically, despite its name, there is nothing progressive about the party when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights. Honestly, things in Bulgaria are not getting better. Maybe they're not getting dramatically worse, but they're definitely not improving. Bulgaria feels like a very stagnant country when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights and acceptance. Unfortunately, it's going to take many, many more years before people finally understand that Pride is not there to sexualize children, change anyone's gender, or influence someone's sexuality. That's all nonsense. Pride exists to show that LGBTQ+ people exist, that they deserve equal treatment, that they deserve legal rights, and that they deserve respect. What makes all of this even sadder is the level of hatred that still exists. Many people leave incredibly ugly comments, including death threats. Others claim that LGBTQ+ people are mentally ill or somehow less deserving of basic dignity. And that's exactly why Pride is still necessary. Not because people want special treatment, but because they want the same rights, the same respect, and the same freedom as everyone else. If you want to see any of her stories today from the pride: https://www.instagram.com/stories/darnadude/3918823130777131309/