LGBT rights across the globe present a complex and contrasting landscape. On one side, countries like Malta allow same-sex couples to marry and adopt children. On the other, there are nations where being gay is punishable by death.

Despite the tireless efforts of human rights activists and the LGBT community to improve legal protections, many countries—especially in the Muslim world—continue to dictate who their citizens can love and what beliefs they must follow. Numerous laws and regulations are being enacted to enforce these views.

European LGBT activists have long kept a close watch on Georgia due to the actions of the ruling Georgian Dream party, which has been steadily steering the country closer to Russia's political model. On 17 September 2024, the Georgian Parliament passed a law banning "LGBT propaganda," a move eerily reminiscent of similar legislation in Russia.

Under this new law, same-sex marriages and adoption by same-sex couples are prohibited, as are gender reassignment surgeries. Medical professionals involved in these procedures face prison sentences. The law also forbids the dissemination of information that "promotes LGBT" in media and educational institutions, as well as the organisation of LGBT-supportive events, such as Pride marches.

The bill was supported by 84 MPs, with no objections from those eligible to vote. The opposition, in protest, boycotted the vote entirely. The law's future now rests with Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, who has vowed to veto it. However, the Georgian Dream party holds enough seats to override any veto.

Source: ‘I’