A display of greater maturity and healthier morality by Bulgarian society in its reaction to plans for a gay pride parade in Sofia would have been encouraging.

A succession of reports on the state of human rights in Bulgaria and by commentators with a special interest in gay issues have expressed profound concern at enduring homophobia in the country.

As recently as December 2007, a survey by the Skala agency found that 53 per cent of Bulgarians had extremely negative views about homosexuals. More than half said that they did not want to work in the same place as a gay person, and a similar number said that they would not want to send their children to a school where a teacher was known to be gay.

There is no doubt that, in the context of the South Eastern European region, homophobia is not confined to Bulgaria. The controversy, disruption and in some cases violence that has attended attempts at gay pride marches in cities like Belgrade and Bucharest in recent years is evidence of this.

Yet Bulgaria is a member of the European Union, is meant to behave in accordance with the European Convention on Human Rights, and just a few years ago, Parliament enacted a law on protection against discrimination. Yet when it comes to an issue as straightforward as a plan for gay people to express their identity in public, ludicrous behaviour ensues on the part of those who oppose such plans.

The Bulgarian Orthodox Church continually fails to be a voice for morality in society, specifically by remaining silent on issues such as corruption and the fight against organised crime, yet feels moved to speak out on issues such as the planned gay pride march. One would think that the fact that a proportion of this country’s population is gay and want to stand up for their rights is a greater threat than any other, in the eyes of the church. To be sure, many churches worldwide hold that homosexuality is against biblical teachings, but they take a different approach, including by helping to uphold human rights. But from the largest church in Bulgaria, we do not even hear a peep about domestic violence, a deeply troubling issue that knows no sexual orientation.

The behaviour of the nationalist Bulgarian National Union in calling for a “week of intolerance” is a blight on the face of Bulgaria, considering 20th century European history and the place of intolerance within it.

Certainly, gay pride marches are a controversial subject in themselves among the various groups of gay activists, with some opposing such marches on the grounds that the overt displays of campiness and sexuality help to reinforce rather than re-mould images of gay people as sexual deviants and predators. That said, it cannot be forgotten that the rainbow flag customarily displayed at gay pride marches is intended to represent the diversity of gay people, a reminder that there can be no more generalisation about the character of gay people than there can be about the character of heterosexuals.

Saddest of all is the fact that, faced with an event that has become customary in many progressive and democratic countries around the world, a certain section of Bulgarians, apathetic about far more serious issues ranging from environmental degradation to corruption and political tomfoolery, are apparently sufficiently motivated to turn out to reinforce Bulgaria’s image as a country of intolerance.