The usual stand-off between supporters of queer rights and homophobic counter-protesters did not take place this 17 May in Tbilisi, as Georgia marked International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia under a state of emergency. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, however, ‘blessmobiles’ laden with priests still roamed the streets spraying holy water on pedestrians.
The ruling Georgian Dream party has announced plans to introduce a queerphobic legislative package that would ban queer ‘propaganda’, gender affirmation treatment, and prevent queer people from adopting children. Parliamentary speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Tuesday announced that the legislative package would consist of one ‘main’ and 18 other related draft laws. Papuashvili said the package would be focused on eight main points, including a legislative ban on same-sex marriage, legally ba
Backlash continues over Georgia’s foreign agent law, as the Church marks Family Purity Day. Read more: * Georgian parliament adopts foreign agent law * Government critics attacked outside their homes in Georgia * Georgian Dream to create database of ‘undesirables’ * Ivanishvili touts conspiracy theories at massive pro-government rally in Tbilisi * Georgian Dream eliminates taxes on offshore assets brought to Georgia * Explainer | Why is Georgian Dream reviving the foreign agent law?
Queer rights activists abstained from holding a demonstration in Tbilisi for this year’s International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia over safety concerns. Next month, Tbilisi is expected to host its first ever queer pride event. After warnings from far-right groups that anti-homophobic demonstrations would be met with violence, the Equality Movement, Women’s Initiatives Supporting Group, and other queer rights groups decided to limit themselves to online campaigns only o
Queer rights activists held a number of small ‘guerrilla demonstrations’ in Tbilisi on Thursday to mark International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia. Conservative and far-right groups held their own events, vowing to create a ‘Georgia without sodomy’, with the Church organising their own event for ‘family values’. A major queer rights rally which was originally planned for 17 May was cancelled the day before, with activists citing security concerns due to ‘an unprecede
