Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has declined to sign a controversial bill passed by parliament last month, which many rights groups and opposition leaders argue significantly restricts LGBT rights.
The “family values” bill, approved on September 17 with an 84-0 vote by the ruling Georgian Dream party, faced a boycott from opposition lawmakers during the session.
On October 2, Zurabishvili’s office confirmed that she returned the bill to parliament without written comments, highlighting the deep political divisions in Georgia as the country approaches national elections later this month.
Parliamentary Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, a member of Georgian Dream and co-sponsor of the bill, is expected to sign it within five days.
The legislation, titled “On Family Values and Protection of Minors,” proposes amendments to 18 laws, including those concerning free speech and expression. It bans gatherings advocating for gender identity beyond “biological sex” or supporting same-sex relationships, and it censors portrayals of LGBTQ+ individuals in films and literature.
Media outlets would be prohibited from airing content that “promotes LGBTQ relationships.”
Additionally, the bill prohibits same-sex marriages, adoptions by same-sex couples, and restricts access to gender-affirming treatments.
Civil society organizations and opposition parties have condemned the legislation, accusing Georgian Dream of leveraging the bill to incite fear and galvanize support ahead of the parliamentary elections on October 26.
The European Union has also criticized the bill, with EU High Representative Josep Borrell stating on Twitter that it would “increase discrimination and stigmatization.”
Georgia’s EU accession process has effectively stalled due to the ruling party’s passage of such legislation that contradicts EU values.
