In April, former Moldovan President and Socialist Party leader Igor Dodon publicly accused the ruling Action and Solidarity Party (PAS) of promoting LGBTI rights at the expense of traditional Christian values. Dodon claimed that PAS, having consolidated control over the judiciary, is now using legal mechanisms to target the Orthodox Church and its followers. His remarks followed a court ruling that rejected a complaint challenging a 2022 decision by the Equality Council that found the Church’s opposition to an LGBTI parade in Chisinau to constitute incitement to discrimination based on sexual orientation.

In January, a gay man was assaulted near his home in Chisinau. The victim believes the attack was motivated by his sexual orientation and filed a complaint with the police but expressed dissatisfaction with their response, stating that he has yet to receive any update or action regarding the case.

In March, Vladimir Odnostalko, a deputy from the Bloc of Communists and Socialists, proposed draft amendments to the Law on the Protection of Children from Harmful Information. The proposal aimed to ban so-called “LGBT propaganda” and pornography in media accessible to children. In justifying the initiative, Odnostalko criticised what he described as the influence of “civilised Europe” and argued that legislative intervention was necessary to shield children from such content. The initiative was submitted for inclusion on the parliamentary plenary agenda but was rejected by the parliamentary majority (see also under Freedom of Expression).

In June, the opposition parliamentary group Pobeda (Victory) submitted a draft law seeking to protect what it described as the family and moral foundations of Moldovan society by restricting the activities of LGBTI people. According to a statement published on the group’s Telegram channel, the proposal would prohibit the promotion of non-traditional sexual relations and gender identity in schools, the media, and public events. It further sought to restrict adoption by LGBTI people and to ban assemblies, marches, and parades that promote non-traditional family relations (see also under Freedom of Expression and Family).

Proposals submitted by opposition actors during the year sought to restrict adoption rights for LGBTI people by framing non-traditional family relations as incompatible with Moldovan moral and cultural values. These initiatives formed part of broader legislative efforts to curtail LGBTI visibility and participation in public life (see also under Equality and Non-discrimination).

In June, Moldova Pride took place in Chisinau amid significant political opposition and attempts to restrict the event. Ahead of the march, Chisinau Mayor Ion Ceban signed an order opposing the organisation of the Pride event, effectively banning the planned march scheduled for June. The national government subsequently demanded that the municipal authorities reverse the ban, arguing that it violated constitutional guarantees of freedom of assembly and expression. The State Chancellery issued a formal notification asserting that prohibiting the parade constituted an infringement of constitutional rights. Mayor Ceban rejected the demand, framing it as political pressure from the ruling PAS party.

Despite these developments, the Pride march went ahead. Following the event, police fined the organisers 1,500 lei (approximately €80) for blocking the road without authorisation. On the same day, a counter-demonstration branded as a “Family March,” organised by the Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova (PSRM) under the leadership of former President Igor Dodon, took place in Chisinau (see also under Police and Law Enforcement).

Throughout the year, political actors advanced initiatives and rhetoric aimed at restricting LGBTI expression in public space. In May, the Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova announced its intention to pursue legislation banning LGBTI marches and introducing criminal liability for so-called “LGBTI propaganda” directed at minors. Party chair Igor Dodon framed the initiative as a defence of Orthodox values and urged municipal authorities to deny authorisation for LGBTI marches.

Following this, Chisinau Mayor Ion Ceban publicly opposed LGBTI marches and what he described as propaganda in the capital. He signed an order restricting the promotion of LGBTI topics in state schools and at public events, and announced the preparation of a draft municipal decision to regulate public meetings on so-called sensitive topics, including sexual orientation and gender identity. Civil society organisations and legal experts criticised the measures as discriminatory and legally unenforceable. Genderdoc-M announced its intention to file a complaint with the Equality Council, while the People’s Advocate condemned the measures as an unjustified interference with freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. Activist Vasile Micleușanu filed a police complaint invoking criminal law provisions on violations of equal rights. Police confirmed that they were reviewing the complaint (see also under Freedom of Assembly and Education).

In April, the authorities in Moldova’s Transnistrian region advanced a draft law aimed at banning the so-called propaganda of non-traditional values among both adults and children. The proposal, approved in first reading by the region’s unrecognised parliament, sought to amend seven existing laws to prohibit the dissemination of content related to non-traditional sexual relations, gender reassignment, and the choice not to have children, and to introduce administrative penalties, including fines and the suspension of operations for legal entities.

In July, the Supreme Council adopted the law in final reading. It was subsequently signed by the region’s self-declared President and entered into force following official publication.

In June, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled on the case of a Moldovan lawyer and human rights advocate. The applicant, known for her human rights advocacy on behalf of the LGBTI community, reported being insulted with homophobic remarks and threatened by colleagues and that the authorities failed to protect her. Although the Moldovan courts ruled against her and framed the incident as a “neighborly quarrel,” the ECHR, by contrast, concluded that the insults and aggression directed at Straisteanu had wider implications, as they targeted both her personally and the LGBTI community she represents.

In mid-June, the Moldovan Interior Ministry condemned the violence and provocations that targeted the LGBTI march in Chisinau on June 15. The Ministry argued that conservative and religious groups deliberately sought to destabilise the event, not only by confronting participants but also by clashing directly with police officers tasked with guaranteeing public safety. An incident in which a counterprotester carrying a child tried to push through police lines, nearly causing the boy to fall, was the subject of an investigation by the Children’s Ombudsman, who expressed concerns about the deliberate exposure of minors to volatile confrontations

In June, Moldovan police intervened in Chisinau to ensure the Pride march could proceed and to prevent clashes with counter-demonstrators. The counter-march, organised by PSRM and attended by several thousand participants, was monitored by law enforcement. Police also imposed an administrative fine on Pride organisers for a traffic-related violation following the event (see also under Freedom of Assembly).