Starting today, a fascist anti-LGBT(Q)I law has come into force in Georgia. Under the guise of “family values and the protection of minors,” this law undermines fundamental humanistic principles, the ideals of equality and dignity, institutionalizes the oppression of LGBT(Q)I people, and solidifies an anti-democratic political regime in the country.

The law strips LGBT(Q)I people of rights that were already non-existent for them and leaves them without access to basic personal, healthcare, educational, civil, and political rights. It is particularly cruel and inhumane toward transgender individuals, criminalizing their bodies and lives. Additionally, the law curtails freedoms of expression and assembly, imposing arbitrary censorship on opinions, art, literature, science, education, upbringing, and more. In reality, this law affects a broad range of people, revealing totalitarian instincts to control and discipline thoughts, expressions, and bodies.

The enforcement of this law will gravely worsen the human rights situation for LGBT(Q)I individuals, leaving one of the most vulnerable social groups without basic protections and making their daily lives unsafe and hostile. This trend is already evident. Due to this fascist law, many LGBT(Q)I activists and visible members of the community are deciding to leave Georgia, forcing them to live without their families, relatives, friends, and their homeland.

It is noteworthy that the anti-equality policies pursued by the ruling party prior to adopting the law, which allowed and tolerated brutal violence by radical groups against LGBT(Q)I people, had already created real risks to their safety. Today, we see that homophobia has become a basis of political governance and official political discourse.

In our view, the adoption of this homophobic law in Georgia is a logical continuation of recent years’ democratic backsliding and the sharp authoritarian and anti-European geopolitical pivot. The government uses homophobia to marginalize opponents, undermine European identity and aspirations in society, and label LGBT(Q)I people as public enemies. A regime that can no longer offer ordinary people security, prosperity, political freedoms, or development uses hatred and fear to control and govern its citizens.

In recent years, the ruling party has managed to successfully join the ranks of expanding authoritarian politics, following the paths of other autocratic regimes (such as Russia and Hungary). It is evident that the Georgian Dream government, like other authoritarian right-wing populist regimes, employs such strategies to maintain power indefinitely. Behind the pretext of protecting families lies the regime's blatant interest in continuing to plunder resources, amassing wealth, and consolidating power while establishing Russian-style laws to integrate Georgia into the sphere of Russian imperial influence.

The content of the law is hypocritical, as it does not genuinely aim to protect families. The prolonged poverty, economic inequality, and growing migration in Georgia harm and alter the structure of our families. In our country, every third child lives in extreme poverty and lacks access to quality education and basic social needs (books, toys, entertainment). If the government were truly interested in protecting families, it would focus on supporting their well-being. Therefore, it is clear that the essence of the law fundamentally contradicts its title and has no connection to family values or the protection of minors.

The enforcement of the law coincides with the country’s ongoing severe crisis, where the ruling power seeks to maintain indefinite control through one-party governance amid a backdrop of rigged elections. In this context, it is crucial to recognize the inhumane and anti-democratic harm caused by this fascist law and to ensure that its repeal becomes a clear demand in our collective resistance.

We stand in solidarity with LGBTQI individuals in Georgia and are committed to actively using our resources to defend their rights, needs, and interests. We will persist in speaking out and fighting for LGBTQI rights, against systemic oppression, and for equality.

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