Georgia has passed a law which restricts the rights of people from the lesbian, gay, bi, and transgender (LGBT) community in that country.
This week the country’s parliament approved the third and final reading of a law which will give authorities a legal basis to ban Gay Pride marches, ban public display of the “rainbow” flag which is often associated with the LGBT movement, as well as censor books and films.
The governing Georgian Dream party said the laws were passed to safeguard the country’s morality. The country’s Orthodox Church also remains influential.
A well-known Georgian transgender woman, Kesaria Abramidze, was stabbed to death in her flat in the capital, Tbilisi, the day after the law was passed. A number of rights groups claimed her murder was because of the passing of the new law.
Parliamentary elections are due to be held next month, with Georgian Dream likely to be the biggest party. However, it will probably fail to secure a majority.
Relations with Russia will also be a key focus of the election, with concerns that Georgia is starting to drift into Moscow’s sphere of influence. It also has candidate status for membership of the European Union.
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