Republic of Georgia Enacts Controversial LGBTQ+ Law

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Facts

• The Republic of Georgia's parliamentary speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Thursday signed into law a controversial 'family values' bill related to LGBTQ+ policies in the country.^[1]
• This comes a day after Pres. Salome Zourabichvili, a critic of the governing Georgian Dream party, refused to sign the bill, instead sending it back to parliament without vetoing it.^[2][3]
• The legislation, introduced by the ruling party and passed by parliament last month, bans gender transition, same-sex marriages, adoptions by non-heterosexual couples, and public depiction of LGBTQ+ relations and people in the media.^[4][5]
• It defines marriage as a voluntary union of men and women for family creation and declares May 17 a day of family 'sanctity' and 'respect for parents.'^[6]
• The passage of this law follows the adoption of a so-called 'foreign influence' law earlier this year, which requires media and nongovernmental organizations to register as 'pursuing the interests of a foreign power' if these entities secure over 20% of their funding from overseas.^[1][5]

Sources: ^[1]Associated Press, ^[2]Guardian, ^[3]Reuters, ^[4]Al Jazeera, ^[5]Newsweek and ^[6]1TV.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Europeanconservative. The law protects traditional Georgian values and the rights of all citizens. It's based on common sense, historical experience, and centuries-old cultural norms. The legislation ensures that freedom of expression doesn't violate others' rights, which is the essence of true democracy.
• Narrative B, as provided by Ohchr. This legislation further marginalizes an already vulnerable community and could lead to increased violence against LGBTQ+ individuals. It's a cynical attempt by the ruling party to shore up support among conservative voters ahead of the Oct. 26 parliamentary election at the expense of human rights.

Predictions