Georgia's president vetoes anti-LGBT+ bill amidst EU bid
3 October 2024 17:42
Georgia is among the countries that are not very favourable towards the rights of LGBT+ individuals. The ruling parties wanted to introduce laws that would severely harm the queer community. 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. They should ensure equality and dignity 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 14 December 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, took 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 bills were very similar to those recently introduced in Russia. They would ban things like gender reassignment, adoption of children by homosexual and transgender individuals, and invalidate same-sex marriages conducted abroad. Additionally, in schools, it would be prohibited to present 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, did not agree to the controversial legislation. Foreign media on Wednesday, 2nd October, received the joyous news that she did not sign the documents.
