Georgia’s parliament has approved a new law aimed at “family values and the protection of minors,” which includes significant restrictions on LGBT rights. The bill, passed in its third and final reading, grants authorities the power to ban Pride events, restrict public displays of the LGBT rainbow flag, and censor films and books containing LGBT themes.
Leaders from the ruling Georgian Dream party argue that the law is necessary to protect traditional moral values in the country, where the Orthodox Church wields substantial influence. However, LGBT activists view the measure as a political maneuver designed to strengthen the party’s support among conservatives ahead of the October 26 parliamentary elections. While Georgia has expressed a desire to join the European Union, Western observers worry that the government is shifting toward Russia’s conservative model, as shown by recent policies resembling Russian legislation.
Tamara Jakeli, director of Tbilisi Pride, voiced strong concerns over the potential impact of the law, calling it a “devastating” development for Georgia’s LGBT community. “This law is the worst thing that could happen to LGBT people in Georgia,” said Jakeli, 28. She warned that the new legislation could force her organization to close, given the limitations it would impose on its operations.
Although Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili has pledged to veto the bill, her influence is largely symbolic, and the ruling party has enough parliamentary support to override her veto. Georgian Dream’s campaign has increasingly spotlighted anti-LGBT sentiment, resonating with public opinion in a country where polls reveal significant opposition to same-sex relationships, and same-sex marriage is constitutionally banned. In recent years, Pride events in Tbilisi have frequently faced physical attacks from anti-LGBT protesters.
In the run-up to the election, Georgian Dream, led by billionaire and former prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, has aligned more closely with Russia while drifting away from Western allies. Earlier this year, the party introduced a “foreign agents” bill, which many criticized as authoritarian and Russian-influenced, sparking some of the largest public demonstrations in Georgia since the nation gained independence in 1991.
Despite shifting to more conservative positions, Georgian Dream remains Georgia’s most popular party, though its support has waned slightly since securing a narrow parliamentary majority in 2020. The party’s anti-LGBT messaging has been prominently featured in campaign materials, including a television ad that juxtaposes Jakeli’s face with the slogan, “No to moral degradation.”
For Jakeli and other activists, the hope for change hinges on the election outcome, even though opposition parties generally offer little in the way of LGBT advocacy. “Our only chance for survival and progress on LGBT rights is for people to turn out in large numbers and vote for change,” Jakeli urged.
