Georgia's president blocks anti-LGBT+ laws amid EU bid
12:28 PM EDT, October 3, 2024
Georgia is among the countries that are not very favorable towards the rights of LGBT+ individuals. The ruling parties sought to introduce laws that would severely harm the queer community. However, the country's president, Salome Zourabichvili, refused to sign the controversial bill.
The rights of LGBT+ individuals are a fundamental element of human rights protection. Equality and dignity should be ensured for everyone, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. In many countries, queer people still face discrimination, exclusion, and even violence.
The right to marry, adopt children, protection from workplace discrimination, and access to healthcare tailored to LGBT+ individuals are just some of the areas where inequality still exists. Unfortunately, the authorities in some countries continue to implement rules that harm LGBT+ individuals.
Georgia seeks to join the European Union
On December 14, 2023, Georgia became an official candidate for the European Union. To join the economic-political union, it must meet certain criteria. Unfortunately, by introducing provisions that contradict EU values, Georgia is moving further away from a positive consideration of its requests to join the EU. The country's president, Salome Zourabichvili, decided to take matters into her own hands.
The country's president stood by LGBT+
Ruling parties in Georgia wanted to introduce laws that would severely harm the LGBT+ community. The proposed legislation was similar to recent laws in Russia, banning gender reassignment, adoption of children by homosexual and transgender individuals, and invalidating same-sex marriages conducted abroad. Furthermore, schools would have been prohibited from presenting information that could be interpreted as "propaganda of belonging to the opposite gender, same-sex relationships, or incest."
The country's president, Salome Zourabichvili, and opposition parties opposed the controversial legislation. On Wednesday, October 2, foreign media reported the positive news that she chose not to sign the documents.
Sources: Interia News
