BULGARIA: Two Of Three Accept Discrimination As Normal

BOROVETS, Bulgaria (Sofia Echo), December 21, 2007: Socialogists found an alarming intolerance towards other ethnicities and people with a non-traditional sexual orientation, it was reported in a research paper published on December 20 at a seminar in Borovets organised by the Commission for Protection against Discrimination. Most frequent was ethnic discrimination. It was alarming that 68 per cent of those interviewed not only acknowledged its existence, but also accepted it as something normal even by those who were subjected to it. Thirty per cent of those interviewed said there was discrimination based on age, 25 per cent identified discrimination against people with disabilities, 23 per cent discrimination based on wealth. While discrimination based on gender, education, religious or sexual orientation was recognised by 16 per cent. Ethnic dislike between Turks and Romas was found to be deeper, than between those two groups and ethnic Bulgarians, researchers found. Bulgarian society demonstrated strong homofobia, sociologists said. The researchers did not find discrimination on religious grounds, with the exception of the attitude towards the evangelical church, which, researchers said, was more political than religious in character. By Rene Beekman © 2001-2007, Sofia Echo Media Ltd.