This article highlights Deystvie’s project from Bulgaria, funded by the second cycle of EL*C’s grant-making programme: Lesbians Against Violence (Combating Gender-Based Violence against Lesbians). 

Laws and policies designed to protect survivors of violence only work when they recognise everyone who needs protection. Yet across Europe, lesbians remain too often invisible within systems addressing gender-based violence. Their experiences are overlooked, their relationships misunderstood, and their needs excluded from legal frameworks. 

In Bulgaria, LGBTI Action (Deystvie) is working to change this. With support from EL*C through its EU-funded grant-making programme against gender-based violence, the organization is implementing Lesbian Voices Against Violence – a project that ensures lesbian experiences and needs are reflected in Bulgaria’s response to violence and in ongoing legal developments connected to the EU Directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence. 

The project comes at a critical moment. Bulgaria remains a challenging environment for gender equality and LGBTQI+ rights, with strong public and political resistance to recognising the realities of marginalized communities. While some progress has been achieved – including stronger legal protection against crimes motivated by sexual orientation – significant gaps remain when it comes to protection from gender-based and domestic violence. 

For many lesbians, these gaps are not abstract legal questions. They affect whether survivors feel safe reporting violence, whether institutions understand their experiences, and whether support systems are able to respond without prejudice. 

Through Lesbian Voices Against Violence, Deystvie is bringing lesbian realities directly into conversations about legal reform. As part of the Ministry of Justice working group on the transposition of the EU Directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence, the organization has a unique opportunity to advocate from within the process and highlight where proposed measures risk excluding lesbians. 

The project begins with listening. Deystvie is gathering community experiences through a national survey and trauma-informed conversations with lesbians who have experienced violence and interacted with institutional protection systems. Recognising that speaking about violence can be difficult and unsafe, especially in contexts where trust in institutions is low, the project adapted its approach to prioritize confidentiality, emotional safety and survivor-centred methods. 

Alongside community input, Deystvie is engaging professionals working directly with violence prevention and response systems – including legal experts, social workers and police representatives. These perspectives help identify both good practices and persistent gaps within existing protection systems. 

The collected findings will be transformed into legal analysis and concrete recommendations. Through dialogue with policymakers, public institutions and other stakeholders, Deystvie aims to make sure that lesbians are meaningfully considered in future legislation and implementation processes. 

But legal change is only one part of the work. The project also focuses on awareness-raising and community empowerment. Through social media campaigns and accessible communication, Deystvie is explaining how legal developments affect people’s everyday lives, what rights and protections exist, and where communities must continue demanding change. 

This work builds on years of advocacy by Deystvie. Since 2012, the organization has been fighting for the legal recognition, safety and equality of LGBTQI+ people in Bulgaria through strategic litigation, policy work, institutional training and direct support. Their work has contributed to landmark legal victories for lesbian families and pushing forward stronger protections against hate-motivated violence. 

With Lesbian Voices Against Violence, Deystvie is ensuring that new systems are not built without the people they are meant to protect. 

Because preventing gender-based violence is not only about creating laws – it is about making sure those laws see every survivor, respond to every reality, and leave no lesbian behind. 

NOTE: You can learn more about the results of the first cycle of the EL*C’s Grant-Making Programme by reading this article.