On Thursday, the 3rd of October, Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili signed a sweeping anti-LGBTQ+ law banning same-sex marriage, adoption by same-sex couples, gender reassignment on identity documents and LGBTQ+ representation in the media, proposed by the ruling Georgian Dream party and approved by lawmakers last month, reports Politico.
President Salome Zurabishvili had refused to sign the bill, but the ruling party and its allies had enough seats in parliament to overcome her opposition.
“The law I am signing does not reflect current, temporary, changing ideas and ideologies, but is based on common sense, historical experience and centuries-old Christian, Georgian and European values,” Papuashvili wrote on social media.
He added that he expects the law to “provoke criticism from some foreign partners”, but pointed out that Georgians have “never been afraid” to follow their “faith, common sense and loyalty to the state”.
The EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, warned last month that such a law would “undermine the fundamental rights of the Georgian people” and “destroy” Georgia’s hopes of joining the EU, which was granted candidate status at the end of 2023.
Georgia’s EU membership bid stalled in June after the introduction of a law on “foreign agents” similar to the Russian one. The anti-LGBTQ+ law is also similar to the Russian law, which bans the depiction of “non-traditional sexual relations” and labels the international LGBTQ+ movement as extremist.
Georgian LGBTQ+ activists say the law is an attempt by Georgian Dream to boost support among conservative voters ahead of the upcoming elections on the 26th of October, in which the party is seeking an unprecedented fourth term in office.
Georgian parliament speaker signs law restricting LGBTQ+ rights
