BRATISLAVA, Jun 26 (IPS) – “If this bill passes, LGBT+ people will no longer be able to live here.” The warning from Tamar Jakeli, LGBT+ activist and director of Tbilisi Pride in Tbilisi, Georgia, is resolute, but others in Georgia’s LGBT+ community agree it is accurate.
Jakeli is speaking to IPS shortly after the ruling Georgian Dream party proposed a bill to parliament in early June that would ban LGBT+ gatherings and ban same-sex marriage, gender reassignment and child adoption. -Sex couple.
It will also ban LGBT+ ‘propaganda’ in schools and broadcasters and require advertisers to remove any content containing same-sex relationships before broadcast, regardless of the age of the target audience.
It bears striking similarities to various bills the Russian regime has sought to crack down on public LGBT+ expression over the past decade, and critics say the bill could have a devastating impact on Georgia’s queer community if passed.
They fear this will lead to violent attacks against LGBT+ people and an increase in stigma, marginalization and oppression of the community.
“This bill would give anyone who already holds very conservative views a license to commit violence against the LGBT community,” Jakeli says.
Experience in other countries where similar legislation has been introduced suggests that this is a very likely outcome.
“The experience of Russia and other countries that have passed such legislation shows a clear pattern. State-sanctioned discrimination tends to create an environment of hostility and violence against the LGBTI community.” said Katrin Hugendubel, head of advocacy at LGBT+ rights group ILGA-Europe. IPS.
“This legislative move in Georgia could embolden extremist groups and individuals, leading to an increase in hate crimes and violence. “Social messages that LGBTI people deserve less rights and protection can have serious and dangerous consequences,” he added.
Human rights groups say that while the law will have an immediate negative impact on many aspects of the lives of LGBT+ people, it also has the potential to reverse the growing, albeit slow, trend of acceptance by the country’s community.
A recent study found that prejudice against LGBT+ people is deeply entrenched among traditionally conservative groups, but activists say attitudes towards the community have become more tolerant over the past few years.
“We still have a conservative society here, there is still transphobia, homophobia and prejudice. In recent years, surveys have shown less homophobia among people, especially in big cities and among young people. “The dynamic was positive.” Beka Gabadadze, LGBT+ activist and chair of the board of Tbilisi-based queer association Temida, told IPS.
But now all this could be under threat.
“The introduction of this bill has the potential to undo much of the progress that has been made in recent years.” Hugendubel warned.
“Improvements in the LGBTI situation in Georgia have been weak and often driven by the efforts of activists and social constituencies. In contrast, this law represents a serious setback that can undo the positive changes achieved. “This can increase fear, hinder public expression of identity, and force LGBTI people and their allies back into hiding,” she said.
The bill must pass three readings in parliament before becoming law, the last of which is expected to take place in September, just weeks ahead of scheduled parliamentary elections.
Activists say they expect the bill to pass, pointing to the government’s commitment to pushing ahead with legislation no matter how unpopular it may be. A bill requiring civil society groups that receive a certain amount of funding from abroad to register as “foreign interests” was passed earlier this year despite massive street protests and overwhelming public opposition.
While the bill is debated in the coming months, Jakeli said he expects repression of the community to increase.
She said her organization’s offices had already been attacked by people linked to the government. The Georgia Dream lawmaker has appeared in May this year claiming she was responsible for a series of attacks on civil society organizations’ offices.
She also expects that many LGBT+ people will start planning a new life abroad if they haven’t already done so.
Georgia Dream said the law was introduced as a necessary measure to stop the spread of ‘pseudo-liberal’ values that undermine traditional family relationships, but critics see it as the latest cynical attempt by Western governments to further increase stigma. They attack specific groups, especially the LGBT+ community, to gain political advantage ahead of elections.
Georgian Dream also linked foreign influence legislation to protecting the country from NGOs promoting LGBT+ rights.
“The timing and nature of this legislative move suggests it is part of a broader strategy to appeal to the homophobic and anti-minoritarian sentiments of a certain voter base,” Hugendubel said. “This tactic has been used in other countries to consolidate power by stoking fear and prejudice,” she added.
Since the implementation of the Foreign Agents Act, the United States has imposed sanctions on Georgian officials, and the European Union (EU) is currently considering similar measures. There have also been calls for similar measures to be taken to stop the government from pushing ahead with anti-LGBT+ legislation.
“International pressure, such as sanctions or diplomatic action, could be effective in sending a signal to the Georgian government that these actions will have serious repercussions. Domestic protests and ongoing public opposition could also play an important role in opposing these laws,” Hugendubel said.
But Jakeli said the government may try to use the mass protests to further push its repressive political narrative.
“What the Georgian Dream wants is for LGBT+ activists to take to the streets now, protest and turn to their voters and say, ‘Look, these are radicals who want to overthrow a government who want to spread decadent Western morality through Georgia.’ ‘Society,’ she says.
Activists say they are hopeful there will be a change of government in October’s elections. Jakeli acknowledges that “it’s not very likely” for the opposition, but points out that they “are being oppressed by the government just as much as the LGBT+ community is.”
But even if Georgia Dream remains in power after the October vote, Jakeli believes efforts to further stigmatize the LGBT+ community may actually have already backfired.
“Protests against the ‘foreign agents’ law have united different segments of society, and more and more people see anti-LGBT+ laws as another ‘Russian’ way to polarize and divide society.
“When I was on the front lines of the Foreign Agents Act protests, for the first time I felt like I was part of the majority rather than the minority in Georgia. I think people realized that everyone, including LGBT+ people, should have human rights,” she said. says:
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© Interpress Service (2024) — All Rights ReservedOriginal source: Interpress Service
