Anti-LGBTQ law to be introduced as Georgia elections approach

In the run-up to the October 26 parliamentary elections, the Georgian government, which is close to Russia, has further distanced itself from Brussels by adopting a bill on “family values ​​and the protection of minors”an anti-LGBTQ measure.

Opposition parties are divided on the issue, trying at all costs to avoid losing potential votes from conservative voters. The ruling Georgian Dream party wants legislative change to counter what it calls the “LGBTQ propaganda” which he believes could have such harmful consequences. For him, same-sex marriage cannot be authorized.

In the plenary session, the adoption of this controversial law went smoothly, with 84 votes in favor and zero against. The parliamentary opposition was not present because many of them have been boycotting parliament since the adoption of the law on foreign agents earlier this year.

The bill has been heavily criticized by the population and human rights activists, says Eka Chitanava, director of the Institute for Tolerance and Diversity. “This is classic Russian propaganda, where the government invents a non-existent problem and promises to solve it. There are many social problems in Georgia that create an unfavorable environment that also affects minors.”

Many people denounce the fact that this law resembles Russian legislation, which they believe infringes on freedom of expression, while legalizing censorship. This is the case of Khatia Ghoghoberidze, member of the Georgian Journalism Charter Council. She explains that “What Russia has been working on for ten years, the Georgian Dream gave us directly. Russia was moving step by step in this direction. The Georgian Dream brought us a version that is in place in Russia today, and the parliament adopted this law. I say it directly: it is a disgrace.”

May 17, the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, has been designated as the day of “Purity of the Family and Respect for Parents.”