Georgia to introduce Kremlin-style anti-LGBTQ+ bill

The latest effort to restrict the rights of LGBTQ+ people in Georgia comes shortly after a "foreign agent" law was adopted in May despite weeks of unrest and pro-EU rallies.

The opponents, who dubbed the law "Russian," say it emulates the Kremlin's clampdown on civil society groups, NGOs and opposition media. Brussels has warned that the law will jeopardize Georgia's EU accession. 

The Georgian parliament, where the ruling Georgian Dream party has a decisive majority, will start discussing the planned LGBTQ+ bill in the coming weeks. The final reading is expected to be held in the fall.

"Even if they [opponents] brand the law against LGBT 'propaganda' not Russian, but Soviet, we will follow it through, given that it is the biggest challenge of modern times," Mamuka Mdinaradze, leader of the Georgian Dream parliamentary majority, said in March, when the initiatives were put forward for the first time.

If adopted, the bill, as well as amendments to 18 existing laws, would make any kind of LGBTQ+-related gatherings illegal. The proposal would also outlaw same-sex marriages, gender transition and the adoption of children by same-sex couples; it would also ban LGBTQ+ "propaganda" in schools and prohibit the broadcast of intimate scenes involving same-sex relationships.

Populist election strategy?

Critics of the ruling party — primarily civil society groups and opposition politicians — have condemned the bill as being populist. Some experts believe the ruling party is exploiting LGBTQ+-skeptical attitudes to gain more votes in October's parliamentary elections.

"It is likely an attempt to consolidate the support of the socially conservative electorate, This move aligns with a broader regional trend where parties, such as Hungary's Fidesz leverage socially conservative policies to solidify their base," Bidzina Lebanidze, a senior analyst at the Georgian Institute of Politics (GIP), told DW.

Tamar Jakeli, director of Tbilisi Pride, told DW that the government refuses to solve the real problems and instead offers "solutions to artificial problems."

"Most people with traditional values simply do not care about the bill. They care about poverty, emigration, lack of jobs, lack of proper healthcare, ecological destruction. These are the problems that people want solutions to," she said.

Attacks on Georgia's LGBTQ+ community

In July 2023, right-wing protesters disrupted Pride Week in the capital Tbilisi. Dozens were injured, including journalists covering the event. The organizers of the Tbilisi Pride have repeatedly accused the Interior Ministry, as well as far-right groups, of orchestrating coordinated attacks on the semi-private event.

Jakeli is worried that the new legislative initiatives will increase the violence against the LGBTQ+ community and force many to flee the country.

"The bill is reminiscent of those in authoritarian regimes, like Russia, where queer people are physically violated and totally marginalized. I fear that most of the community will have to seek asylum abroad, which is already an ongoing process, but will intensify much more," she said.

Notwithstanding that more than 80% of Georgians aspire to join the EU, Georgian society tends to be defined by conservative values. The Georgian Orthodox Church serves as one of society's most important institutions and enjoys close-knit ties with the ruling party.

Around 56% of Georgian respondents to a UN survey in 2022 believe that LGBTQ+ community should be protected, but that "its members should not impose their way of life on others." 

Despite the conservative leanings of Georgian society, Jakeli says that "the public opinion towards queer people has shifted for the better," but she believes the government is standing in the way of "building an equal and accepting society."

"Unfortunately, nowadays Georgia is a hostile place for the LGBTQ+ community, but not because of its society, but because of its pro-Russian, authoritarian government. Society is giving us much to hope for; the government is totally beyond any hope," she said.

How has the EU responded?

Georgia was granted EU candidate status in December. The European Commission also set out nine conditions for bringing Georgia closer to the EU. These include addressing the issue of political polarization, improving the protection of human rights and avoiding foreign interference in domestic politics.

But the newly proposed LGBTQ+ amendments don't appear to align with these conditions. 

"As an EU candidate country, Georgia is expected to align its laws with EU legislation," the EU delegation in Georgia, which plays an ambassadorial role inside the country, told DW in a written statement.

"The candidate country must have achieved stability of institutions guaranteeing respect for human rights and respect for and protection of minorities" to qualify for EU membership, it added.

The GIP's Bidzina Lebanidze believes that while LGBTQ+ restrictions will affect Georgia's image in the West and its chances of moving forward on the EU path, the "foreign agent" law that Brussels and Washington urged Georgian authorities to withdraw in May will overshadow any new repressive initiatives.

"The new LGBTQ+ legislation will probably strengthen the negative image of democratic processes in Georgia further. However, withdrawing the 'foreign agent' bill will be key to unfreezing Georgia's EU accession process in the first place," he said.

Edited by: Rob Mudge