15 political parties sign a joint agreement on LGBT rights
By Khatia Bzhalava
Tuesday, May 18
According to a non-governmental organization Tbilisi Pride, on May 17, on the International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia, 15 political parties signed a joint agreement on LGBT rights. The signatory parties include United National Movement, Girchi, European Georgia, Girchi - More Freedom, Republican Party, Law and Justice, Strategy Builder, Lelo, Reformer, Movement Droa, For justice, United Georgia, Free Democrats, Progress and Freedom, and Victorious Georgia. The memorandum is symbolic and does not have any legislative force.
Tbilisi Pride says that for the 2020 parliamentary elections, with the support of the NDI, the organization began working with political parties to reach a general agreement on this issue. “Considering the homophobic and transphobic attitudes in Georgia, we deem it important that political parties have a common position regarding the fundamental rights of queer people. To this end, Tbilisi Pride reached out to all major pro-Western political parties in Georgia,” reads the statement published by the organization.
Tbilisi Pride said the parties agreed to fight to eliminate discrimination and violence against queer people, defend the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression of all citizens regardless of their sexual orientation and gender identity. Parties also agreed not to allow the use of hate speech and incitement of social strife in the political process based on homophobia.
Regarding the International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, a group of diplomatic missions in Georgia released a statement expressing support for the LGBTIQ+ community in Georgia.
According to the statement, LGBTIQ+ people in Georgia face bias, stigma, lack of opportunities in political, social, and economic life, as well as experience violent hate incidents and crimes. The representatives of the diplomatic corps call on all relevant actors in Georgia to take action to end all forms of discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and expression.
“We urge Georgian state, political, civic and religious leaders to give high priority to fighting discrimination and stigma through education and leadership within their respective areas of responsibility, including by vigorously preventing violence, adopting and embracing respectful and compassionate public discourse, investigating attacks and prosecuting offenders, and ensuring proper legal response to and protection from violent acts that hinder LGBTIQ+ organizations from operating freely,” reads the statement.
It is also stressed that Georgia has shown progress in combating discrimination and homophobia towards LGBTIQ+ persons, including the adoption of the Law on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination in 2014. In this context, the representatives of the diplomatic corps welcome the legal recognition of a transgender person by the Georgian authorities, for the first time in 2021.
The joint statement is issued by the United Nations system in Georgia, the Delegation of the European Union to Georgia, the Embassies to Georgia of Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States, the Head of the Council of Europe Office in Georgia, and the Head of the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia.
