The News
Georgian lawmakers led by the ruling Georgian Dream party passed a controversial “family values and the protection of minors” law Tuesday. Human rights groups and the European Union criticized the bill for imposing strict limits targeting LGBTQ+ people.
The legislation gives authorities the power to ban Pride events, censure public displays of the rainbow flag, and the power to censor media. The new law also prevents people from changing their gender on official documents.
“This law is the most terrible thing to happen to the LGBT community in Georgia. We will most likely have to shut down. There is no way for us to continue functioning,” the director of campaign group Tbilisi Pride told Reuters.
SIGNALS
Georgia borrows from Russia’s playbook
Georgia’s ruling political party Georgian Dream appeared to borrow from the Kremlin’s playbook on LGBTQ+ rights: Russia made it illegal to “praise” LGBTQ+ relationships in 2022, and has since banned gender transition. The backsliding of human rights could jeopardize Georgia’s long-standing goal of EU membership, but the government appears to be sabotaging that over fears that answering to the EU might loosen the party’s grip over the country, Politico reported. It could backfire, too: Some 86% of Georgians support EU accession, the Center for European Policy Analysis noted.
Georgia’s opposition may steer clear of campaigning on pro-EU platforms
Georgia’s October parliamentary elections could offer a referendum on whether the country “remains aligned with Western democratic ideals or veers closer to Russia’s sphere of influence,” conservative DC-based think tank The Jamestown Foundation argued. Opposition leaders should avoid that framing, a columnist argued in openDemocracy. Rather than campaigning on an explicitly pro-EU platform, they should instead portray the government as “tired, out of ideas, and incapable of offering a positive future for Georgia,” he wrote.
