LGBTQ+ communities in Georgia, where the conservative Orthodox Church is highly influential, are under threat after Georgian lawmakers approved the final reading of a law on “family values and the protection of minors” that would provide a legal basis for authorities to outlaw Pride events and public displays of the LGBTQ+ rainbow flag, and to impose censorship of films and books.
While leaders of the governing Georgian Dream party say it is needed to safeguard traditional moral standards in Georgia, activists say the measure is aimed at boosting conservative support for the government ahead of a parliamentary election in October.
Tamara Jakeli, director of campaign group Tbilisi Pride, said the bill, which also restates an existing ban on same-sex marriage and bans gender reassignment surgery, would likely force her organisation to close its doors.
“This law is the most terrible thing to happen to the LGBTQ+ community in Georgia,” Jakeli said. “We will most likely have to shut down. There is no way for us to continue functioning.”
LGBTQ+ rights are a fraught topic in Georgia, where polls show broad disapproval of same-sex relationships, and the constitution bans same-sex marriage. In recent years, participants in Tbilisi’s annual Pride marches have come under physical attack by anti-LGBTQ+ protesters. Georgia has ambitions to join the European Union but Western governments fear is now tilting back towards Russia.
