The Georgian Parliament has pushed through a deeply controversial anti-LGBTQ+ legislative package, drawing widespread condemnation both domestically and internationally.
In its third hearing, the bill passed with 84 votes in favour and none against, a stark outcome reflecting the absence of opposition MPs, who boycotted the session in protest.
The legislative package, which includes a total of 19 amendments and new laws, including the primary legislation titled “On the Protection of Family Values and Minors”, is set to institutionalise discrimination and legitimise hate in the nation.
Thirty-two civil society organisations have since sounded the alarm over this legislative move, describing it as a dangerous escalation in the ruling Georgian Dream (DG) party’s assault on human rights. In a unified statement, these organisations argued that the government is using this legislation to “manipulate the public ahead of the elections, distract from real issues, incite irrational fears, and erect new barriers to the country’s European integration.” According to them, the law is nothing more than a tool for political manipulation, designed to stir up anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment and undermine Georgia’s democratic development.
According to its opponents, the so-called “On the Protection of Family Values and Minors” law fails to address the real issues Georgian families face, such as poverty, inflation, high migration rates, and a lack of essential infrastructure for daily life and education. “The only way to respond to these and other pressing challenges is to make principled and decisive progress towards European integration—exactly what the government is deliberately obstructing with this legislative package,” they stated.
Furthermore, the organisations cautioned that the law’s enactment marks a dangerous precedent that could pave the way for broader censorship and repression across society. The law’s vague provisions could be used to clamp down on freedom of assembly and expression, thereby endangering the rights of not just LGBTQ+ people but all Georgian citizens. “When the rights of one group are trampled, it lays the groundwork for similar attacks on others,” the statement warned, highlighting how such laws have been used in other countries to justify widespread persecution.
The Venice Commission, a respected advisory body on constitutional law, also condemned the legislative package. In its opinion released on June 26, it urged the Georgian government to “reconsider the proposed law in its entirety and halt its adoption,” or at the very least, to amend its provisions to ensure compliance with the European Convention on Human Rights and prevent discrimination against LGBTQ+ people.
Civil society organisations say the consequences of this law’s passage will be severe. Not only will it entrench homophobia and deepen social divisions, but it will also set back Georgia’s aspirations for European integration and damage its international standing. The ruling DG party has brazenly employed homophobia as a key strategy in its electoral campaign, attempting to present this legislative package as a defence against so-called “LGBT propaganda.” In reality, the law is an outright attack on fundamental freedoms, threatening to restrict the publication of books, films, and media and potentially silencing any voices critical of the government.
The DG is also pushing for a constitutional amendment stating that “the protection of family values and minors is guaranteed by constitutional law.” However, this proposal remains stalled, as the party does not have the constitutional majority required to pass it. This has done little to quell concerns, as activists fear the DG will continue pushing through repressive measures targeting vulnerable communities and undermining democratic institutions.
Civil society organisations remain defiant, however. “We believe that October 26 will mark the beginning of change because we see that Georgia is increasingly choosing solidarity, bridge-building, and creating unyielding unity,” the organisations declared. They applauded citizens who have stood up against the ruling party’s manipulative tactics and expressed solidarity with those most vulnerable to the harmful effects of this law.
