If such a law is adopted, it will be a real obstacle to Georgia’s European path, – Christian Petry, a member of the European Union Affairs Committee of the German Parliament, told reporters in the Parliament, responding to the legislative initiative of the European Socialists MP Fridon Injia on restricting “LGBT propaganda”.
According to Petry, a country is judged by how it treats different groups.
“It is very important when bills come from society and enter parliament from the population. When it comes to the LGBT issue, I think a country is judged by how it treats different groups. Freedom should be enjoyed by all people, regardless of their views; it should be without discrimination. If such a law is adopted, it will be a real obstacle on Georgia’s European path,” said Christian Petry.
A delegation of the European Union Affairs Committee of the German Bundestag is present in the Parliament of Georgia. They have already held a meeting with the Chairman of the Parliament, they also met with the members of the European Integration Committee of the Georgian Parliament.
According to Mamuka Mdinaradze, the chairman of the Georgian Dream faction, the government does not plan to adopt a draft law that would ban “LGBT propaganda”.
As Mdinaradze told journalists, the adoption of such a draft law is not being considered, first of all, due to legal considerations, and secondly, “it may add more water to the radicals’ mill”.
“Georgian Dream is not considering the adoption of such a bill, and this has its own arguments. First, it is not considered due to legal considerations. The second is the pragmatic argument that it might be more in the interests of LGBT propagandists and radical forces, who build their entire narrative on it. Thirdly, personally and I am sure, many members of our team believe that unhealthy propaganda should be countered with healthy propaganda, and not with legal mechanisms, with which certain claims may arise later. This may add more water to the radicals’ mill, and therefore, we will not consider adopting such a draft law,” said Mdinaradze, adding that the government will not allow the interests and rights of any group to be violated.
