Georgia’s parliament is set to debate a controversial “family values” bill aimed at restricting LGBT rights. The bill, which includes bans on “LGBT propaganda” and gender reassignment surgery, will be discussed in the first of three required readings during the current spring session, according to Shalva Papuashvili, the Speaker of Parliament.
Introduced by the ruling Georgian Dream party in March, the bill has faced strong opposition from LGBT activists and human rights groups. The debate occurs amid heightened political tensions in Georgia, following weeks of protests against a newly enacted “foreign agents” law, which critics argue is repressive and influenced by Russian policies.
The proposed measures have raised concerns among European Union and U.S. officials about Georgia’s political direction. According to Interpress, Papuashvili stated that the bill would also ban non-heterosexual individuals from adopting children and prevent people from changing their gender on ID documents. Additionally, public gatherings promoting same-sex relationships and broadcasts showing intimate scenes involving same-sex couples would be prohibited.
Georgia, a predominantly Orthodox Christian country, is socially conservative, with polls showing a significant majority of the population disapproves of same-sex relationships. The opposition contends that the Georgian Dream party’s anti-LGBT stance is an effort to garner support from conservative voters and distract from economic challenges ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for October.
The ruling party argues that the bill is necessary to protect against “pseudo-liberal” values that they believe threaten traditional family structures.
