GEORGIA’s Parliament has given initial approval to some bills seeking to curb the spread of propaganda by members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) community.
According to a Reuters report the bills seek to ban propaganda of same-sex relationships and gender reassignment surgeries.
It was proposed by the Georgian Dream Party, the ruling party in the state.
The bills are required to pass two more readings before becoming law, although it was approved by a majority of the deputies in the parliament.
If passed, public displays of the LGBTQ flag could be outlawed, along with pride events and public gatherings promoting same-sex relationships.
It will also prohibit non-heterosexual persons from adopting children and stop gender markers from being changed on identity documents.
Broadcasters will also be banned from airing intimate scenes involving LGBTQ persons and related topics will be excluded from the education system.
The bill was first introduced in March and leader of the Georgian Dream Party’s parliamentary caucus, Mamuka Mdinaradze, who is also a significant player in favour of the bill, said it was necessary to protect family values and future generations from “pseudo-liberal values”.
“Now, if someone wants to force same-sex marriage on us, we will tell them that it is prohibited by our Constitution,” he was quoted as saying in March.
Opposition to queer rights exists across the world, including Nigeria, where members of the LGBTQ community are confronted with homophobia.
The ICIR reported that LGBTQ persons are often rejected, not just by society, but by family members.
Sometimes, queer persons are forced into conversion therapies organised by family or friends to “fix” them.
Ijeoma Opara is a journalist with The ICIR. Reach her via [email protected] or @ije_le on Twitter.