Bulgaria's
influential Orthodox Church on Friday called on authorities
to ban the country's first gay pride march. The march,
planned for Saturday, has already been moved from a
downtown area of the capital, Sofia, to a remote park
after municipal authorities cited security concerns.
The church argued
the event would undermine the country's Christian
traditions.
"Bulgarian
society needs healthy, strong, and moral individuals to
build new life on the indestructible foundation of faith,
prayer, repentance, honor, Christian culture, and
morals," a statement said.
Gays in Bulgaria
face widespread hostility despite a 2003
antidiscrimination law that protects their rights. Before
the march, gay rights groups expressed fears that
far-right parties could stage violent protests against
the event.
One of them, the
Bulgarian National Union, is calling for "open
resistance" to the gay pride parade. (AP)
