We, the civil society organisations of Georgia, strongly condemn the ongoing efforts in the Parliament to legitimise hatred, oppression, and discrimination. The ruling party, “Georgian Dream”, is pushing through a legislative package in its third reading that seeks to manipulate public opinion ahead of the elections, distract from real issues, incite unfounded fear, and create yet another barrier to Georgia’s European integration.
The so-called 'On Family Values and Protection of Children' legislative package does nothing to address the critical challenges facing Georgian families and minors, such as poverty, inflation, high emigration rates, lack of access to basic needs, inadequate infrastructure, unequal resource distribution, and poor healthcare and education. Instead, it misrepresents the path to real solutions: a principled and steady commitment to Georgia's European integration. The government, however, aims to hinder this very path, including through this harmful legislative package.
This package is both dangerous and regressive, essentially legalizing censorship and infringing on the right to assembly and demonstration. By targeting the LGBTQ community, it sets a precedent for stripping any citizen of their constitutionally guaranteed rights. History is replete with examples of how restricting the rights of one group paves the way for broader-scale repression.
Given our understanding of the true motives behind this legislative process and the ruling party’s past dismissal of public demands, as seen with the 'Russian law,' we do not appeal to the Parliament for action. Instead, we urge:
The President of Georgia to veto this legislative package, preventing the legalisation of hatred, censorship, and oppression;
The Public Defender to take all possible steps to critically evaluate this package and, if necessary, pursue its repeal through the appropriate courts;
Civil and political movements to work toward minimising the long-term impact of such anti-democratic and anti-European initiatives.
We believe that October 26 will mark a turning point, as Georgia increasingly chooses solidarity, bridge-building, and resilient unity. We thank each citizen who, through personal example, embodies true Georgian values of tolerance and mutual respect. We stand in solidarity with those impacted by this manipulative agenda.
The list of the signatory organisations are provided in the Georgian version of the statement.
