Republic of Georgia Approves Contentious LGBTQ+ Legislation

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Facts

  • Georgian lawmakers on Tuesday approved the third and final reading of the LGBTQ+ bill entitled 'On Family Values and Protection of Minors' — which consists of 18 amendments to existing laws — by a vote of 84-0.[1][2]
  • The legislation outlaws same-sex marriages, public depictions of LGBTQ+ material — including in films and books — and gender-reassignment health care, as well as prohibits LGBTQ+ events and the adoption of children by non-heterosexual couples.[3]
  • 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.'[4]
  • Georgian Pres. Salome Zourabichvili has indicated she plans to block the bill. However, the ruling Georgian Dream party has enough support in parliament to override her veto.[5]
  • This comes three months after Georgia's parliament enacted the 'foreign influence' bill, which requires non-government organizations and media outlets that receive at least 20% of their funding from abroad to register as foreign agents.[6]
  • Last year, Georgia was granted EU candidate status. However, Brussels stopped its EU accession process in July following the controversy surrounding its foreign agents and LGBTQ+ laws.[7][8]

Sources: [1]RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty, [2]Georgia Today, [3]Euronews, [4]1TV, [5]Al Jazeera, [6]Verity, [7]POLITICO and [8]Dw.Com.

Narratives

  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Civil Georgia and Ohchr. This law is yet another Kremlin-style repressive initiative aimed at imposing discriminatory restrictions on Georgia's LGBTQ+ community. By modeling legislation on its autocratic eastern neighbor's anti-West rhetoric, the government is backsliding on human rights. It's a shame that the Georgian Dream party is exploiting anti-LGBTQ+ attitudes to boost conservative support before the elections instead of building an equal and accepting society.
  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by 1TV and Rustavi2. This law isn't making Georgia 'more Russian.' The country's constitution bans same-sex marriage. The government is just following the same premises and introducing initiatives necessary to combat the West's LGBTQ+ propaganda, safeguard its traditional standards, and strengthen family values. The government can't prioritize EU membership over Georgia's best interests.
  • Narrative C, as provided by Reuters and OC Media. The opposition boycotting Tuesday's vote underscores Georgia's dramatically polarized political landscape. Though a Georgian Dream loss in October may not guarantee the bill is rolled back simply because the country isn't overtly supportive of LGBTQ+ rights, the only way to take a stand in a region beset by state and religious homophobia is for the community to go in great numbers to the elections and vote for change.

Predictions