The Georgian parliament has officially passed a new law restricting LGBTQ rights, similar to Russia’s “gay propaganda” legislation. On Thursday, Speaker of Parliament Shalva Papuashvili signed the bill into law, even after President Salome Zurabishvili refused to approve it.
The law, named “On Family Values and the Protection of Minors,” bans gender reassignment, nullifies same-sex marriages conducted abroad or in Georgia, and claims to uphold traditional Christian and Georgian values. Critics argue it discriminates against LGBTQ individuals and could worsen their safety.
Human rights organizations and Western countries have condemned the move as harmful to LGBTQ communities and contradictory to Georgia’s aspirations for EU membership. The legislation’s passage also follows the adoption of a controversial "foreign influence" law, which led to weeks of mass protests and accusations that Georgia’s ruling party is aligning itself more closely with the Kremlin.
The situation has raised tensions in the country ahead of the October 26 parliamentary elections, sparking concerns about the erosion of democratic freedoms in Georgia.
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