The situation in Georgia

Mass protests, anti-queer legislation, authoritarianism and Europe.

Georgia, a country located on the borders of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, between the Black Sea, Russia, Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan, has been gripped by deep political tensions since its last elections, deemed fraudulent by a large part of the population.

At a time when the country is facing massive demonstrations denouncing election rigging and growing authoritarianism, the government of Irakli Kobakhidze and the “Georgian Dream” party has just passed a set of extremely serious anti-LGBTQ+ laws.

Under these new laws, from now on :

• Access to hormone therapy and affirmative surgery will be banned for trans people of all ages;
• All legal recognition will be prohibited;
• Peaceful demonstrations or gatherings related to any LGBT issue will be restricted and repressed;
• All LGBT content will be censored, in academic circles as well as in film, theater, television, etc;
• All non-heterosexuals will be barred from adopting children;
• Gay marriage and all other forms of non-heterosexual civil unions will be explicitly illegal.

How these laws will be implemented remains unclear, but they certainly crystallize the systemic oppressions experienced by LGBTQ people; it's clear that they will lead to devastating consequences.

Despite the distance that separates us from Georgia, we should be concerned. The last few years have shown us just how internationally connected hate networks are. Such measures always end up crossing borders!

Local communities are mobilizing, but the trajectory of the Georgian state seems already mapped out and the changes well underway. Like its French, American and Canadian counterparts, Georgia's political classes seem to be using our communities as an enemy and a stepping stone to ever greater power.

It's a symptom of the rise of authoritarianism and fascism. Civil society is under attack! Activists are oppressed, notably by new laws and repressive measures that seek to crush any opposition to the current regime; “There will be no revolution in Georgia”, there are hundreds of illegal arrests that also target journalists; and human rights are in serious decline.

The Georgian people inspire us, however, and their mobilization since November 25 testifies to the courage and determination of street resistance in the face of the fascization of the state.

All this is playing out against a backdrop of a struggle for influence between Putin's Russia and the Western bloc of NATO + European Union.

Kobakhidze's government is close to the fascist regime in Moscow, so part of the opposition is naturally made up of supporters of the European Union.

Although joining the European Union may seem to promote the protection of human rights and democracy (and without claiming that we know better than the Georgians how to lead their struggles), we denounce the pinkwashing of Europe, which also violates its marginalized and oppressed populations, under the rising tide of fascism that clearly isn't sparing it.

Solidarity with the Georgian people and courage to our queer and trans adelphs!

Down with the fascist, patriarchal and capitalist state!