Center Amalipe strongly condemns the attack on the LGBTI community

Center Amalipe strongly condemns the attack on the Rainbow Hub and activists from organizations working for the rights of the LGBTI community. This is a hate crime and its perpetrators (according to eyewitnesses, these are activists of the Bulgarian National Union and its leader Boyan Rasate who runs for the President elections on November 14, 2021) should be tried and convicted for hate crimes and not for hooliganism.

What has been done is part of the escalation of intolerance and hatred towards difference and diversity, which for years has led to crimes against people of different sexual orientation, migrants, Roma and minorities. Examples of such hate crimes are the beatings of Mitko from Ovchepoltsi, Stefan from Lyaskovets, the attacks on activists of the LGBTI community and on synagogues, mosques and others.

Unfortunately, the Bulgarian political elite has not found a way not only to effectively oppose the rising wave of intolerance, but legitimizes this rhetoric and often statements and actions of politicians reinforce the rejection and hatred of all who are perceived as “different”. We are talking not only about representatives of ultranationalist formations (sometimes reaching the post of Deputy Prime Minister), but also about some of the traditional parties that have adopted their rhetoric, creating public fears of concepts such as “gender”, “NGOs”, “LGBTI”, Roma ” and others.

The court and the prosecution also contribute to public tolerance and increased intolerance by refusing to prosecute acts of hate speech (arguing with the right to personal opinion and freedom of speech) and even hate crimes (reducing them to hooliganism).

We appeal to the political parties and all the candidates in the forthcoming Parliamentary and Presidential elections to condemn all forms of intolerance and hatred and to refrain from planting them! We call on the Prosecutor’s Office to take the necessary actions to bring to justice the perpetrators of the attack on the Rainbow Hub for a hate crime!

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