With a moving stage and a sea of rainbow flags, the pro-LGBTI Sofia Pride event due on Saturday is to draw attention of discrimination in Bulgarian schools.

The Soviet Army monument in downtown Sofia, near Orlov Most, is where the rally will begin at 18:00 local time (EEST), but people are invited to gather an hour earlier.

Participants will go around Sofia's downtown area in the course of an hour to return to the Soviet Army monument at 19:00.

Traffic restrictions are put in place between Gen Gurko and Lyuben Karavelov Str, where pulling over and parking will not be allowed from 15:00 to 21:00.

This year's edition of Sofia Pride, which is to be held in the Bulgarian capital for the 8th year running, is aimed at promoting visibility of problems with LGBTI members have to face in educational institutions.

Organizers always tend to remind one doesn't need to be gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or intersex to attend the rally which is seen as a show of support for a community that often complains of discrimination.

Diplomatic support for the event has been stronger over the last few weeks than it was last year. As many as 18 ambassadors signed a joint statement to back it and called on citizens to respect the LGBTI community, compared to 11 envoys who did this last year.

In a fashion similar to previous editions, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, alongside a number of popular personalities and some intellectuals, criticized Sofia Municipality for giving the green light to Sofia Pride and asked Mayor Yordanka Fandakova to cancel the event.

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