Georgia’s ruling party this week introduced draft legislation that would limit LGBTQ+ rights, leading many to compare it to similar laws in Russia. The measures proposed by the Georgian Dream party come soon after the adoption of another controversial law, the “foreign influence” law, which resulted in months’-long mass protests and criticism for its perceived threat to democratic freedom and Georgia’s EU aspirations.
If passed, the LGBTQ+ bill will prohibit same-sex marriages, gender-affirming care, changing gender markers in official documents, adoption by same-sex couples, public endorsement of same-sex relations at gatherings and educational institutions, and depiction of same-sex relations in the media.
Parliament speaker and Georgian Dream member Shalva Papuashvili announced the new initiative just a day after signing the “foreign influence” law into effect, a law that requires news media and NGOs to register as “agents of foreign influence” if they receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad.
President Salome Zurabishvili’s vetoed the “foreign influence” law, but Parliament overrode her. The law’s adoption is a move that has prompted concerns about the erosion of democratic principles and human rights in Georgia.
The Georgian Dream’s proposed LGBTQ+ legislation again echoes laws in Russia, where public endorsement of “non-traditional sexual relations” and gender-affirming care have been banned for over a decade. In a recent development, Russia’s Supreme Court labeled LGBTQ+ activism as extremist, effectively outlawing it in the country.
By Team GT
