Georgia seeks to ban pride parades in new homophobic bill

In Georgia, a bill has been introduced aiming to ban LGBTQ+ pride parades and related merchandise. This was confirmed on Friday by Shalva Papuashvili, the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, during a press conference. Before the bill can be voted on in Parliament, the Human Rights Committee must first issue its opinion.

In recent years, the ruling populist and conservative party, Georgian Dream, has taken an increasingly hostile stance toward diversity. Last year, following the adoption of the controversial foreign agents law, Georgian Dream approved a homophobic legislative package banning “LGBT propaganda,” same-sex marriage, and gender-affirming medical care. These measures are officially intended to protect “family values and minors.” The same arguments were also used to silence critics ahead of the 2024 elections.

LGBTQ+ pride parades, as referenced in the proposed law, have not yet taken place in Georgia. In July 2021, a pride parade was scheduled for the first time in the capital, Tbilisi, but a large violent attack organized by the pro-Russian group Alt-Info led to assaults on activists’ offices and the journalists present.