The Speaker of Georgia’s Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, on Thursday signed into law a bill that significantly restricts the rights of LGBTQ individuals, despite opposition from both the country’s pro-Western president and the European Union.
According to AFP, the new law closely mirrors Russia’s “gay propaganda” legislation, which bans gender reassignment surgeries, nullifies same-sex marriages performed abroad or within Georgia, and restricts the promotion of LGBTQ rights.
“In accordance with the constitution, I signed today the law on family values and the protection of minors, which President Salome Zurabishvili refused to sign,” Papuashvili announced on social media.
He defended the legislation, stating that it is based on “common sense, historical experience, and centuries-old Christian, Georgian, and European values.”
The Georgian Dream party, which dominates the parliament, pushed the bill through in September, sparking tensions ahead of the upcoming October 26 parliamentary elections.
The opposition boycotted the vote, while critics warned that the bill could exacerbate the already hostile environment for LGBTQ individuals in the country.
While Papuashvili argued that the law “protects the rights of all citizens,” human rights organizations and international observers have expressed grave concerns. They argue that the legislation is discriminatory and will only further endanger the LGBTQ community.
This concern was amplified by the recent murder of a prominent transgender woman in Georgia, which occurred as lawmakers debated the bill.
The passage of the law follows another controversial piece of legislation—the anti-NGO “foreign influence” law—which also drew sharp criticism and sparked mass protests in Tbilisi earlier this year.
Opponents of the Georgian Dream party accuse it of moving the country closer to Russia’s sphere of influence, risking Georgia’s aspirations for EU membership.
