In an echo of anti-LGBTQ+ “propaganda” laws introduced in Russia and decried by human rights defenders, the proposal would also ban education and public gatherings it describes as popularizing “same-sex family or intimate relationships,” as well as “incest.”
However, Mdinaradze said the move will “protect family values and minors.” He did not rule out that holding a Pride parade or displaying an LGBTQ+ flag could be in violation of the bill.
Last year’s Pride event in the capital, Tbilisi, was evacuated after far-right protesters stormed the site, which the police failed to secure. Organizers blamed Georgian authorities for having “co-ordinated” with anti-LGBTQ+ activists.
The government has recently increased funding to Georgian Orthodox Church. The proposed bill is widely perceived as an attempt by Georgian Dream to appease the influential church and to secure a fourth term in office when the country heads to the polls in October to elect a new parliament.
Georgia was granted EU candidate status last year along with Ukraine and Moldova. However, Brussels has repeatedly warned that the country is at risk of backsliding on democracy and human rights, and has significant work to do on key reforms if it is to join the bloc. The governing Georgian Dream party has refused to impose sanctions on neighboring Russia since the start of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
According to Tinatin Akhvlediani, a researcher with the Center for European Policy Studies, “the EU has put protection of vulnerable groups — and LGBTIQ+ people are one of the most vulnerable in the country — among the conditions put forward for Georgia’s candidacy.” Without fulfilling those requirements, she said, the country was unlikely to “progress with the next steps” toward EU membership.
Dato Parulava contributed to this report.
