Georgia's controversial, Russia-like "foreign agent" bill becomes law after weeks of protests
CBSJUN 2024
This law is yet another Kremlin-style repressive initiative aimed at imposing discriminatory restrictions on Georgia's LGBTQ+ community. By modeling legislation on its autocratic eastern neighbor's anti-West rhetoric, the government is backsliding on human rights. It's a shame that the Georgian Dream party is exploiting anti-LGBTQ+ attitudes to boost conservative support before the elections instead of building an equal and accepting society.
This law isn't making Georgia "more Russian." The country's constitution bans same-sex marriage. The government is just following the same premises and introducing initiatives necessary to combat LGBTQ+ propaganda, safeguard traditional moral standards, protect minors from detrimental influences, and strengthen family values. The government can't prioritize EU membership over Georgia's best interests — it can't allow external forces to morally degrade its society.
The opposition boycotting Tuesday's vote underscores Georgia's dramatically polarized political landscape. Even if Georgian Dream were to lose power in October, the bill wouldn't have rolled back simply because the country isn't overtly supportive of LGBTQ+ rights. The only way to ensure LGBTQ+ rights in a region beset by state and religious homophobia is for the community to go in great numbers to the elections and vote for change. The Georgians must challenge and reshape the laws based on prejudice.
There's a 45% chance that the Georgian Dream party will win a majority of seats in Georgia's 2024 parliamentary elections, according to the Metaculus prediction community.