On Thursday, the speaker of Georgia’s parliament enacted a bill that mirrors Russian legislation aimed at restricting the rights of LGBTQ individuals, despite warnings from the European Union.
This action followed a refusal by Georgia’s pro-Western president, Salome Zurabishvili, to endorse the bill, highlighting her ongoing conflict with the ruling Georgian Dream party.
The legislation closely resembles Moscow’s “gay propaganda” law, prohibiting gender reassignment and invalidating same-sex marriages conducted both abroad and within Georgia.
“In conformity with the constitution, I signed today the law ‘on family values and the protection of minors’, which Salome Zurabishvili didn’t sign,” speaker Shalva Papuashvili said on Facebook.
The ruling Georgian Dream party advanced the bill in parliament last month amid a boycott by the opposition, escalating tensions ahead of the significant parliamentary elections on October 26.
Papuashvili defended the measure, asserting that it is rooted in “common sense, historical experience, and centuries-old Christian, Georgian, and European values” rather than transient ideologies.
READ ALSO: Georgia Officially Bans LGBTQ Propaganda, Same-Sex Marriage, Gender Reassignment Surgery
He contended that the law safeguards the rights of all citizens.
However, rights organizations and Western nations have criticized it as discriminatory, arguing that it fosters a hostile environment for LGBTQ individuals.
The bill’s introduction follows the tragic stabbing death of a prominent transgender woman in Georgia, an incident that occurred during the law’s push.
Additionally, this legislation follows Tbilisi’s recent enactment of an anti-NGO “foreign influence law,” which ignited weeks of mass protests against the government and drew condemnation from Western leaders.
Critics allege that the ruling Georgian Dream party is aligning itself more closely with the Kremlin, jeopardizing Georgia’s prospects for EU membership.
(AFP)
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