Sofia Pride 2025: ‘We are people, not propaganda’
The 18th Sofia Pride, in 2025 being held with the theme “We are people, not propaganda” and customarily being held to campaign for equal rights for LGBQTI people, began in the Bulgarian capital city’s Knyaz Alexander I Square on the afternoon of June 14.
According to the organisers, the choice of theme is a clear response to the growing rhetoric that presents LGBTI people and their rights as a threat.
The organisers intend the theme to be a reminder that behind every story, identity and cause stand real people – with their feelings, families, friends, pursuit of happiness and the right to a dignified life.
The opening ceremony saw messages of support from several ambassadors, including those of the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands.
This was followed by a procession through the streets of central Sofia, to be followed later in the evening by a concert and an after-party.
In previous years, the sequence of events was that the concert preceded the procession, but this year this was changed because of security concerns arising from counter-events, such as a so-called defence of “traditional family values”.
Lawyer Denitsa Lyubenova of the Deiystvie organisation told Bulgarian National Radio about growing difficulties in preparing for Sofia Pride.
“Earlier this year, we tried to put up outdoor advertising in several key locations in Sofia and Bulgaria. The other location was Stara Zagora. This outdoor advertising said one in 10 people is part of the group and the community, and we were refused by six outdoor advertising companies,” Lyubenova said.
“We can no longer rely so much on broad public support. There are six counter-protests announced, which is why the march was moved from 4pm to 5.30pm, in order to guarantee the safety of the participants in our march.”
Sofia Pride is organised by the GLAS Foundation, in collaboration with the Bilitis Foundation, LGBTI Deiystvie, and the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee. The 2025 event is supported by the Bulgarian Women’s eund, the Embassy of Australia, the embassy of the United Kingdom, the embassy of Canada, and the companies Fashion Days, Absolut, Accenture, EY, HP Enterprise, Paysafe, Ingram Micro, Durex, and others.
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