Bulgarian institutions have no answer for domestic violence in same-sex couples, a study by LGBTI group Action shows. Lawyer Denitsa Lyubenova presented the study at a forum held at the French Institute in Bulgaria.
Researchers surveyed 22 people for the study in May and June 2026. They also carried out four interviews and two focus groups with representatives from various institutions.
Women in same-sex relationships — lesbian, bisexual and queer women — are left with no legal protection, Lyubenova said. Even when someone files a complaint or asks for protection, they get turned down, because the law simply cannot deal with this kind of violence, she explained.
The current law's definition of "intimate relationship" does not cover same-sex couples. It also leaves out problems such as "outing" — when someone reveals a person's sexual orientation and this causes them harm.
Bulgaria must bring in the EU directive on protection from domestic violence by June 2027. This will mean changes to the Domestic Violence Protection Act and to the whole policy on the issue. Bulgarian law works to some extent already, Lyubenova said, but the directive will bring attention to many more specific problems that the law does not cover now.
Because Bulgaria does not legally recognize same-sex relationships, LGBTI people miss out on more than 300 rights, including on tax, social security, inheritance and adoption. They also cannot get information about a partner in hospital or make decisions on their behalf.
Maya Geneva, co-founder of the Woman Up foundation, presented a second study. Between January and May 2026, researchers carried out in-depth interviews with 20 families of queer women in Bulgaria, including one trans man.
There is no law that defines who counts as the second parent, Geneva explained. That parent ends up with no rights — but also no responsibilities. What couples fear most is what happens to their child if the biological mother dies.
Most parents had a positive experience with pregnancy checks, the birth itself and meetings with doctors. But they had gone to doctors recommended by other queer parents, at private hospitals, within the same small circle. Unnecessary extra procedures and poor treatment in health care are a problem for all mothers, Geneva said, not just a sign of homophobia.
The Woman Up foundation and the Action organization ran the forum, titled "Violence, discrimination and legal invisibility of lesbian, bisexual and queer women: from maternal health care to legal protection."