- Same-sex relations are considered as bad as incest by the government of Sakartvelo
- Some Georgians share a vision of a strictly traditional family and society
- The West again condemns Georgia
- Sakartvel was rocked this year by the "foreign influence" law
Same-sex relations are considered as bad as incest by the government of Sakartvelo
After months of debate, the Parliament of Sakartveland has decided to restrict information on the situation of homosexuals and other sexual minorities in the country.
The law, tabled by the country's ruling party "Dream of Sakartvel", bans same-sex marriages, adoption by same-sex couples and sex reassignment. There are also certain sanctions for the promotion of non-traditional relationships, and homosexual relationships are simply equated with incest.
It is noted that same-sex marriages contracted abroad will be declared null and void in the territory of Sakarvel.
The new law will also ban the public display of the LGBT flag and other similar symbols in the country and will introduce some control over the mainstream media and social networks.
The law was adopted by a majority vote, despite an opposition boycott. The law on family values and the protection of minors will enter into force as soon as it is published[1].
The pro-European President of Sakartvelo, Salome Zurabishvili, could still veto it, although, according to observers, such a veto would only delay its entry into force, as the Parliament has repeatedly overruled the President's vetoes.
As a reminder, parliamentary elections will be held in Sao Tome and Principe at the end of October. The party of billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, the "Dream of Sakartveld," which has been in power since 2012, will seek a constitutional majority in the elections.
This is even though the country has been in turmoil over the past year due to the government's political line.
Some Georgians share a vision of a strictly traditional family and society
Critics of the law claim that the anti-LGBT propaganda law was borrowed from Russia. The latter's legislation restricts the rights of LGBT people and limits the rhetoric of same-sex relationships in educational establishments and on television.
Russia adopted this law more than a decade ago, which was described at the time as prohibiting the promotion of 'non-traditional' relationships to children. At the time, the West criticized this harshly, calling it stigmatization of the LGBT community.
The criticism did not change Moscow's position. On the contrary, Russia extended this law in 2022 when it banned any public representation of LGBT people.
The Russian Supreme Court has also effectively banned LGBT activism, classifying the LGBT movement as a group of extremist organizations.
The situation is somewhat different in Sao Tome and Principe, where the Orthodox Church is quite influential, even without political involvement, and where a part of the public is actively involved in demonstrations against the LGBT community.
Last year, for example, hundreds of opponents of homosexual rights stormed the LGBT festival in the capital. This year, tens of thousands of people participated in a march in Tbilisi to promote "traditional family values".
The Constitution of Sakartvelo states that "marriage is based on legal equality and the free will of the spouses," but the document does not explicitly prohibit same-sex marriage.
However, the country's civil code explains that marriage is a "voluntary union between a man and a woman". The ruling party's new legislation contains a clearer prohibition.
The West again condemns Georgia
The draft law on family values has already been criticised by the European Union (EU). On Wednesday, EU diplomatic chief Josep Borrell called on Sakartvel to withdraw it.
Brussels has condemned the law, describing it as restricting the rights of LGBT people. The EU also warned that the law further reduced the country's chances of joining the bloc.
"I call on Sakartvel to repeal this legislation, which further derails the country's path to the EU," Borrell wrote on the "X" platform.
The EU has already warned the Sakartvelo government that its quest for EU membership is "effectively on hold" as it has started to adopt measures that contradict European values.
As a reminder, the EU granted Sakartvel candidate status in 2023. Relations with Brussels deteriorated when the parliament in Tbilisi adopted a law against foreign funding of NGOs in May.
When the Sakartvelo Dream party came to power in 2012, it initially pursued a liberal, pro-Western political agenda but has reversed course in recent years. As a result, the country's government has been criticized by the EU and the US[2].
This week, the US even imposed sanctions on Sakartvel officials for violence against pro-Western protesters who unsuccessfully tried to stop the Foreign Influence Act. The US has frozen as much as €95 million in sanctions and USD 95 billion in aid to the government of Sakartvelo. The US cited "anti-democratic actions" as the reason.
"The anti-democratic actions and false statements of the Government of Sakartvelo are inconsistent with the norms of EU and NATO membership," said Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a press release.
However, it added that the US would continue to support programs and activities in Sakartvelo that benefit the population by strengthening democracy and the rule of law and ensuring media independence and economic development.
Over the past three decades, since its withdrawal from the Soviet Union, the United States has provided more than $6.2 billion in aid to the country. The country has received USD 6.6 billion to help rebuild its economy, democratic institutions, military and educational infrastructure.
Sakartvel was rocked this year by the "foreign influence" law
Sakartvel announced a new law restricting LGBT propaganda after the country adopted a "foreign influence" law in June. Critics also described it as having been copied from Russia.
The measure requires media and NGOs that receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as "pursuing the interests of a foreign power".
In Russia, a similar law targets people who receive foreign funding for their work. That is why they are called 'foreign agents'. In Soviet times, traitors and enemies of the state were called 'foreign agents'.
This measure, still at the discussion stage, caused several weeks of protests in Sakartvellian society and was widely criticized as threatening democratic freedoms and reducing Sakartveland's chances of joining the EU. Despite weeks of street protests and warnings that the legislation could harm the long-standing ambition to become an EU member, the law was nevertheless adopted in May.
