Georgia’s ruling party announced Tuesday the introduction of a bill to ban “LGBT propaganda” in education and on television, coming shortly after the adoption of other controversial legislation.
In power since 2012, the Georgian Dream party has strengthened its conservative turn in the last two years, accusing the West of undermining the “traditional values” of this Caucasian country of predominantly Orthodox Christian faith. A formula reminiscent of those of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The opposition accuses the authorities of distracting Georgia from its stated ambition to join the European Union, and on the contrary bringing the country closer to Russia, where legislation repressing “LGBT propaganda” was adopted around ten years ago. of years.
The Georgian Dream bill on the “protection of minors and family values” must be submitted for first reading to Parliament in June. It aims to ban “propaganda of homosexual relations and incest” in educational institutions and television broadcasts.
The ban “concerns the broadcast of intimate scenes on television and during film screenings in cinemas, which is a common practice,” said the President of Parliament, Chalva Papouashvili.
In March, the Georgian Dream considered legal measures banning medical sex reassignment procedures as well as same-sex marriage, which has never been legal in Georgia.
The opposition believes the initiative is part of efforts to marginalize it in the run-up to important legislative elections scheduled for October.
“The Georgian Dream plans to trap the opposition in a dilemma between supporting the measures and losing the support of liberal voters, or opposing them and alienating conservative voters,” a Georgian party official told AFP. opposition Akhali, Nika Melia.
Mr. Papouashvili promulgated on Monday another controversial law inspired by Russian legislation, which requires NGOs and independent media receiving part of their funding from abroad to increase administrative control.
The parties of the pro-European Georgian opposition, traditionally divided, have for their part taken a first step towards the formation of a common front by signing a political charter with a view to the legislative elections.