Aims:

During the period January – October 2015, Bilitis conducted a qualitative study aimed at answering the question “to what extent do secondary schools in Sofia provide an inclusive environment for LGBTI students and teachers?”

Activities:

● Analysis of internal school policies to prevent discrimination, harassment and violence;
● Interviews of LGBTI students and teachers;
● Dissemination of a questionnaire for school principals.

The product of this project is the book “Schools for All”? The status of LGBTI students and teachers in Bulgarian schools “, Bilitis 2015, published in Bulgarian and translated into English.

The information was collected with the help of Dorotea Stefanova and Gloria Filipova – volunteers of Bilitis Resource Center. The author of the report is Monika Pisankaneva. The book is published in Bulgarian with ISBN for non-commercial distribution. The book’s editor and designer is Radoslav Stoyanov, an LGBTI expert at the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee.
The final proofreading of the English version was made by volunteer Laurel Zmolek-Smith, an English teacher at the American College in Sofia.

This is the first qualitative study of the situation of LGBTI students and teachers in Bulgarian schools, based on in-depth interviews with students and teachers who identify as LGBTI.

The dissemination of the report includes the following target groups:

-Institutions in the field of education: Ministry of Education; Regional Inspectorates of Education; Secondary schools in Sofia

– NGOs working for inclusive education: potential partners in future advocacy campaigns;

-A broader group of potential supporters, including students (who will be able to find the book in university libraries), citizens.

-LGBTI people – through our Facebook and web pages.

The project facilitates the networking with other national NGOs working for inclusive education. The report was presented during events dedicated to changes in the educational content and educational standards in Bulgaria.