The Georgian government passed a new law preserving traditional family values in the third and final reading on Tuesday, September 17, immediately angering Eurocrats. Brussels accuses Tbilisi of homophobia and discrimination and demands that the bill be withdrawn. But it is up to Georgians, not Brussels, to judge the new law, and they will soon have the opportunity to do so in the parliamentary elections next month.
“The Georgian parliament has passed laws on 'family values and child protection' that will undermine the basic rights of the population and increase discrimination and stigmatization,” Joseph Borrell, the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, told X.
Borrell then threatened Tbilisi with a halt to its EU accession process if the country did not withdraw the law. “I call on Georgia to withdraw this law, as it would deter the country even further from its path to the EU,” he said.
The same threats were made from Brussels earlier this month after the second reading of the bill. A statement from the diplomatic service headed by Borrell said the law would have a “significant impact” on Georgia's EU integration and reminded Tbilisi that the process was “de facto halted” until the law was withdrawn and the country “recommitted” to European values.
The Georgian parliament has passed laws on “family values and child protection” that undermine the basic rights of the population and increase discrimination and stigmatization.
I call on Georgia to withdraw this law, as it would further deter the country from its path to EU membership.
— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) September 18, 2024
The bill “On Family Values and the Protection of Minors” was passed in the 150-member parliament by an 84-member majority of the ruling Georgian Dream party, with no dissenting votes as opposition parties boycotted the session.
The law prohibits same-sex marriage, adoption by same-sex couples, gender reassignment surgery, changing gender in official documents, Pride events and the public display of the rainbow flag, the promotion of homosexuality and gender reassignment in the media and advertising, and any kind of representation or promotion of LGBT ideology in schools.
“This initiative clearly distinguishes between those who put the best interests of society first and those who pursue external agendas. It distinguishes between individuals who genuinely care about protecting human rights and those who seek to spread harmful propaganda,” said Rati Ionatamishvili, the head of parliament's human rights committee, who tabled the package earlier this year, adding:
The law is intended to protect minors from harmful influences, as some advocate for issues such as gender reassignment surgery and the inclusion of LGBT materials in schools and kindergartens. It is obvious that the opposition has distanced itself from parliament because of its stance on this initiative.
The law also makes May 17 – the International Day Against Homophobia – a new public holiday dedicated to “the sanctity of the family and respect for parents.” The Georgian Orthodox Church has celebrated May 17 as “Purity Day” for years to counterbalance the country's largest gay pride marches that usually take place on that day.
The package describes marriage as a voluntary union between two individuals of different biological sexes for the purpose of founding a family and explicitly prohibits the recognition or registration of any type of union other than marriage under Georgian law.
Although the law is significantly stricter, it has been compared to Hungary's 2021 “child protection law”, which banned the promotion of LGBT ideology in primary schools and prime-time television programs accessible to minors and was praised by conservatives across the West as an “exemplary” measure to protect children from potentially harmful ideologies.
However, unlike Georgian legislation, the Hungarian law has no impact on adult lives and does not attempt to interfere with anyone's sexual preferences. Nevertheless, it was enough to anger the EU equally, and Brussels resorted to freezing tens of billions of euros from Hungary's cohesion funds as punishment.
But despite threats of “reprisals” from Brussels, it is up to the people to judge Georgian legislation. And with parliamentary elections just around the corner (scheduled for October 26), the people will soon have the opportunity to do so. The latest polls put the ruling Georgian Dream at 43.5 percent, well ahead of the pro-Western opposition UNM party at 15.1 percent.
