Georgian Parliament Passes LGBTQ Ban 

Tbilisi, MINA – The Georgian Parliament on Tuesday passed a law on the ban on LGBTQ+ issues in the country.

At a plenary session in the capital Tbilisi, lawmakers voted in favor of the Protection of Family Values ​​and Minors Bill, in its third and final reading with 84 votes in favor and none against, Anadolu Agency reported.

The bill, which was submitted to parliament in June, is set to provide a legal basis for bans on issues including LGBTQ+ gatherings, same-sex marriage and sex-change operations.

The law would also ban the public display of the LGBTQ+ flag, and impose censorship on the media.

The majority of the opposition did not attend the session due to a boycott of parliamentary work following the passage of the controversial Foreign Influence Transparency Act, which has been criticized by the US and European countries.

The bill must be signed by President Salome Zourabichvili to become law, who has said she will veto it.

However, the ruling Georgian Dream party was able to override the veto, allowing the Speaker of Parliament to legally sign the bill.

The bill’s passage comes as the Georgian Dream party is set to run for a fourth term in parliamentary elections on October 26. (T/RE1/P2)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)