I talked with my better half about this, and he brought up some interesting stuff. Here's what he said: I read the article and to tell you the truth from one side i am not against the Gay march because every one has the right to do what they want to do, and to be what they want to be. People have to respect this, but from the other side i am against it because i remember the Gay march 2007 it was like a porn march, but this is not the main problem, the problem is that they were doing this in the parks where children play. They passed through the 2 biggest parks in Sofia and i wouldn't be happy if i were in the park with my child and this happened. I am not against gays i wouldn't like it if heterosexual people act like this in front of children too, but if the gays act normally i would be absolutely ok with this. They are people like all of us and they should have some manners like all of us do.
I agree with this statement,it's not on that the children can see this sort of behaviour.

For the benefit of both Andrew Webster and Hamish, I found the biblical citation I referenced earlier. In Matthew 10 Christ is sending out his disciples and in verses 14 and 15 he promises very dire punishment to those cities who "shall not receive you". Once again, it is the failure to offer hospitality that is to be punished.
Be warned!

The thing is, homosexuals are doing nothing to hurt anyone. It is their choice to live their lives as they please, as they do not harm society. Sex in the straight community is plastered all over the media, in bars, in movies. It is only fair that these people are allowed to express their feelings as well as it is what they were born with too,like everyone is born with how they are. They are marching to gain acceptance, as there is a lot of hatred aimed against them. As for younger people being influenced, you are either gay or not, you cannot influence someone to be gay????? I think acceptance of sexual orientation like acceptance of religious orientation is a healthy thing as it helps us all to get on better in the world. They are not horrid sick people, they are as diverse in their personalities as we are. Maybe i wouldn't approve if you liked S&M as i do not like it, but that is your opinion and your business. I wouldn't judge your whole personality on it and try and stop you. We live in an international and diverse world these days, it has to be accepted that everyone thinks and feels in a different way. Leave them be, they don't harm you in any way. They can be like anyone, and very nice people, and ARE part of our community whether you like it or not. Everyone has the right to freedom of speech, if you don't like it, you do not have to listen. Come on join the modern world.

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This comment has been removed by the moderator because it contained

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Hamish mentions "sodomy", an idea that was dreamed up by the Spanish monk Peter Damien in the mid 11th century (M. D. Jordan. The Invention of Sodomy in Christian Theology. Chicago). Perhaps Hamish, like Peter, is among those who believe that an incident in Genesis is punished for something other than the failure to offer the customary semitic gift of welcoming hospitality to strangers. This courtesy is mentioned often in the Old Testament and Jesus got it right in his condemnation of those who failed to be hospitable. Hamish might offer both Christian and the traditional semitic hospitality to strangers by joining the onlookers at the Gay Pride event and offering support to the marchers. That would be the gracious and non-judgmental thing to do.

I'm a British gay man in love with great Bulgarian man, and his family won't accept our union and it hurts us both terribly and may even mean he is pressured into leaving me marrying a woman and having a child to prove he is 'normal', There is nothing normal about bigotry and there is nothing wrong or shameful about our love. I think the people on the Friendship rally should be commended for their courage and I am in complete solidarity with them, homosexuality is not promiscuity and the bible condemns lots of activities that all the Christians I have met do. For instance the bible says do not kill, so all wars are wrong, I agree with that one, I accept that the theology students have the right to disagree with the gay lifestyle and to protest if they wish, but they do not have the right to deny gays the right to love who they love and be proud of it. Come on Sofia gays get out their and show the bigots we are not going to be ashamed of who we are!

Mr. Webster cites Leviticus for his position. If Webster has never had a whisky (Leviticus 11:9)or ever eaten lobster or crab or shrimp (Leviticus 11:12) or never worn a drip dry shirt (Leviticus 19:19) I will agree that he is a Bible believing serious Christian. If, however, he has done these things he has demonstrated that he is a fraud and a bigot.

Constitution of Bulgaria says -"Religious institutions and communities, and religious beliefs shall not be used to political ends." These theology students have much contempt for Bulgarian Constitution and do not respect rights and freedoms of others. They are using their religious beliefs for political ends. This is very bad.

Leave the homosexuals alone. Gay tourists spend a lot of money and it will help the economy more than the theology students. We do not want Bulgaria to be a place like Belarus where people will not visit or do business with us.

The gays should be able to love each other without fear of religious oppression by fanatics. The Bible is not the same as civil law in Bulgaria. It is stupid to quote the Bible to justify discrimination practices. I wil quote our Constitution. Read what the Bulgarian Constitution says about: "universal human values of liberty, peace, humanism, equality, justice and tolerance... holding as the highest principle the rights, dignity and security of the individual." I say NO to religious bigotry. It is not a Bulgarian value. Read more: "All persons are born free and equal in dignity and rights. All citizens shall be equal before the law. There shall be no privileges or restriction of rights on the
grounds of race, national or social origin, ethnic self-identity, sex, religion, education, opinion, political affiliation, personal or social status or property status." These civil liberties apply to the gays and to the religious fanatics. Bulgaria is a free country and we do not tolerate oppression of
anyone or discrimination. The stupid and bigoted theology students should also study the Bulgarian Constitution.

Belief in God is a mental illness.

I do not want the churches deciding for the all the people what is normal and what is abnormal. The theology students should respect the norms of European Union Human Rights. I do not want churches running politics like they do in violent countries like the USA and in Saudi Arabia.

The gay people should be permitted to love anyone they want without fear of harm or prejudice. These theology students are similar to religious fanatics like American Republican Party of George Bush and the Taliban. I support religious freedom, but freedom of religion is freedom from religion. I want modern secular values in Bulgaria and not an oppressive religious cult state like Saudi Arabia or George Bush America.

Bulgaria is a modern European country with democratic values. These theology students should not be bigots. They should not try to impose their religious beliefs as a law upon all the public. Not everyone shares their medieval beliefs. They are really the people who are abnormal. They must leave the gay people alone in peace.

am happy to know that there are normal, sensitive and courageous bulgarians who express their sentiments against homosexuality... to the christian thelogy students: keep up your "morale". God bless your endeavours!

I thought Ambassadors were required to distance themselves from matters of political controversy. Maybe support for sodomy is not political ?

Further comment -
Leviticus 20:13 states:
“If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.”

It is quite clear from the Bible that homosexuality is an abomination which will be punished by everlasting torment in hell. The homosexuals bring evil into the world and should not be allowed to do so. One can forgive the sinner, but not the sin.

Ordinarily, sexual orientation should just be a private matter. But there are organizations and persons who try to attack homosexuality as abnormal, which is wrong. Therefore, homosexuals have to organize to defend their legitimate interests in being accepted as regular members of society. So the anti-homosexualist activists are to blame for the Gay Pride parade.

What "Christian" theology are these students pursuing? Sounds pretty narrow minded and dubiously Biblical to me. Sexual orientation may be a private issue, but an appeal for acceptance of and social equality for perfectly normal life styles is not a private matter. The theology faculty should be ashamed for allowing this!

The theological students are surely making a very good point...why should it be good or necessary to advertise to the world what surely is a most personal matter, sexual orientation. Is this not something which is nobody's business except the individual concerned...and outward shows of odd, abnormal behaviour cannot be healthy for youngsters, surely? Am I wrong?
Ambassadors who give support to this rally should be ashamed of themselves!