Georgia's government adopts anti-LGBTQ law, raising concerns ahead of elections

Many critics of the Russia-friendly government say the legislation flies in the face of Georgia's EU accession process.

Transcript

00:00Before the elections on the 26th of October, the Russia-friendly government of Georgia

00:04yet took another step further away from Brussels and adopted a draft law on family values and

00:08protection of minors, which is an anti-LGBTQ maneuver.

00:12Meanwhile, opposition parties are divided on the matter, trying to avoid loss of potential

00:16votes from conservative electors.

00:18They do not openly claim the initiative to be undemocratic, but rather untimely.

00:22Mamuka Dinaradze, chairman of the ruling party Georgian Dream, says that a legislative change

00:26was needed as a countermeasure to LGBT propaganda.

00:30In two or three generations, it can have such harmful consequences, he claims, that no conqueror

00:35has been able to achieve for centuries, and stresses that same-sex marriage cannot be

00:39allowed.

00:40At the plenary session, the adoption of this controversial law passed without disruption,

00:44with 84 in favor and zero against.

00:47Parliamentary opposition was not present, as many of them have been boycotting ever

00:50since the adoption of the law on foreign agents earlier this year.

00:53Human rights defenders argue that the goal is to cover up real problems and create another

00:57barrier to European integration.

01:24Civil society groups state that this law resembles Russian legislation that encroaches on freedom

01:29of speech, while also legalizing censorship.

01:32The draft law consists of 13 articles, addresses marriage, adoption, medical procedures, and

01:55many other issues.

01:56Also, May 17, the International Day Against Gay, Bi and Transphobia, has been designated

02:00as a day of purity of the family and respect for parents.