The NGO GYLA (Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association) stated that Georgia marks May 17, 2026, against a backdrop of ignored LGBTQI rights, hate speech from the authorities, discriminatory legislation, and political homophobia.
The organization notes that the LGBTQI community has become a specific target of government propaganda since 2024. It emphasized that while community members previously lived under conditions of systemic inequality and discrimination, since 2024, the authorities have actively begun to create an “enemy image” around LGBTQI issues through discriminatory bills, laws, and hate speech.
GYLA recalled that the legislative package adopted in September 2024 remains in effect, which, according to their assessment, effectively revokes several fundamental rights. This specifically concerns restrictions on freedom of expression in activist, creative, and scientific spheres, a ban on trans-specific medical care, and limitations on the right to private and family life.
The NGO points out that these laws contradict the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), and the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has urged the Georgian authorities to repeal them.
GYLA indicates that while the Georgian authorities justify the adoption of these laws by the need to protect families and children, in practice, they make children more vulnerable to bullying, hate, and violence. As evidence, they cite the 2024 assessments by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, which urged Georgia to abandon the “homophobic and transphobic” bill initiated at that time.
The NGO notes that anti-gender rhetoric also negatively impacts the status of women, contributes to the reinforcement of gender stereotypes, and complicates the systemic fight against violence and inequality.
The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association links the increased attacks on the LGBTQI community to a “turn toward authoritarianism” and the adoption of other repressive laws.
It is emphasized that the escalation of homophobia and transphobia is used as a tool to distract attention from other human rights violations and ultimately makes all citizens more vulnerable, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Ivanishvili’s son: violence must be excluded, I do not intend to enter politics