International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia: A perspective from Georgia
EHRAC works with partners in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Ukraine to challenge systemic discrimination, including against LGBTI people.
On the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (17 May), we asked our partners WISG to share their experiences of homophobia, transphobia, and biphobia in Georgia.
What is it like for LGBTI communities in Georgia currently?
‘The situation for LGBTI communities in Georgia has deteriorated sharply following the adoption of the “Law on Protection of Family Values and Minors.” This legislation effectively criminalizes what authorities term “LGBTI propaganda” (using the new term “popularisation”), severely restricting freedom of expression, assembly, and association for LGBTI individuals and organizations. The law creates a hostile environment where discrimination is institutionalized, leading to increased vulnerability and marginalization.
‘Even before this law takes effect, we are witnessing an alarming exodus of LGBTI individuals from Georgia, with transgender persons particularly affected due to the effective criminalization of gender-affirming care. The main problem is the self-censorship among medical professionals. They now face legal penalties for providing essential hormone therapies and transition-related treatments, forcing many trans individuals to seek refuge elsewhere or resort to dangerous unregulated sources for medication. The legislation’s exceptionally broad scope directly targets healthcare providers, educators, social workers, and even interferes in parent-child relationships by criminalizing supportive discussions of gender identity or sexual orientation within families. This unprecedented intrusion into private family spheres demonstrates the law’s true intent: not protection but erasure of LGBTI identities from Georgian society.’
How are WISG seeking to challenge this situation?
‘At WISG, we’re confronting these discriminatory laws through targeted strategic litigation, working hand-in-hand with EHRAC to prepare robust cases for the European Court of Human Rights. Our legal strategy deliberately focuses on demonstrating how this law fundamentally violates Georgia’s binding commitments under the European Convention, particularly regarding non-discrimination, privacy rights, and freedom of expression. We’re meticulously documenting real-world implementation cases that directly contradict established ECtHR jurisprudence like Identoba, Aghdgomelashvili and A.D. v. Georgia to strengthen our legal position. Additionally, we’re actively supporting the implementation supervision process before the Committee of Ministers at the Council of Europe, submitting detailed evidence of continued non-compliance with existing judgments and requesting enhanced supervision measures – we’re hopeful these complementary mechanisms will create sufficient pressure to reverse Georgia’s alarming regression on LGBTI rights protection.’
