June 2021

“Facebook reminded me of 17^th May of 2013. I am posting this while being incredibly angry, because the only way out of this is a massive coming out. Back then the LGBT issues were new for me. Neither did I have any theoretical information, nor did I know what a strong destructive force homophobia is, and how painful coming out might be, which as it turns out is a permanent, not a one-time act. It has been 8 years since then and I have acquired much theoretical knowledge and practical experience. Many of my opinions changed, however, just like the old Tsabunia, I still believe, that public space belongs to every person. Everyone should be able to come out, protest and say – I am Also Here!

I am going to the solidarity march just like I went to every other public gathering that concerned LGBT rights. The freedom of speech of my friends and myself is important for me, since it is one of the most basic human rights. Additionally, I want those community members that live in further districts, small cities and villages to see that they are not alone and there are many others just like them.

Pride should be a day of celebration – a day of victory over hatred and oppression, but we do not have this reality in Georgia yet. The reality is that we have to fight for our basic rights and to prove that the country equally belongs to everyone. This is exactly what this year’s Pride stands for from my point of view – a fight for rights and being each other’s allies in this fight, because we have more in common than we think – we live in the same country, obey the same laws (or don’t obey them), share the same social-economic status, are victims of the same stereotypes. It is because of these experiences that we need to be able to see each other’s challenges and fight together to overcome them.

I expect that all people who think that LGBT rights are human rights and think that some people have this right unjustly restricted, will come, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, political taste or other differences.

We must remember that as long as the rights of even one person are restricted, we will never be able to build a democratic state, we will not be able to create a worthy present and future.”

“Holding a March of Honor, in my opinion, is very important in countries like ours, in which we need to fight for our rights. This is a part of the fight that includes education in preschools, schools, universities, the right to work, freedom of expression, etc. Generally, human rights have to be protected with a fight in our country. So when, if not today?! Or who, if not us?!

For queer community members pride is a symbol of unity. Generally, people feel safer and calmer when they are part of something greater. The presence of family, friends and just people in solidarity on the march further enhances this sense of calm and security. People are more confident and happy when they are accepted the way that they are, by people who are important to them and whom they love.

Solidarity is important for all communities, especially when we all agree that we have to fight for and protect our rights. This does not exclude the possibility of a different opinion, but it allows for reasoning, arguments, and if necessary, rational compromises. But we need to do this and this needs to be done today. We have to ask politicians and the public to recognize and protect their rights and soon enough we will arrive at the place where the civilized world is today.”

“I am attending the March of Honor because it is important for each of us to be there – it’s time to fight for each other.

It is essential for the queer community to go outside, only online campaigns aren’t enough to increase solidarity. Society needs to see that they exist outside of the online space, next to them. We need to come out publicly and talk about all the problems that exist.

All this wouldn’t be needed if society was accepting. If the court and police properly protected the rights of every citizen. In addition, every person needs to feel part of society. The queer community must establish its place in society and gain the rights it does not have – the public space is mine, yours, ours, everyone and everyone has the right to be a part of it. It is time to get used to the fact that there are many different people in the world and we should not discriminate against each other on any grounds.

For me Pride means – fight against injustice. Standing together, fighting for each other, freedom, acceptance, helping each other. If Pride was a person, they would be the kindest, most generous, the most loving, the most curious, the most colorful, and the most loving person – like one of those people who hugs you and you feel like you are at home, safe, and someone loves you.

Pride unites all people and it is not just a celebration of the queer community – it is for everyone. It is for all the people who can show solidarity and stand by someone else. Everyone should have the opportunity to love someone, be accepted without wanting to change them. In many cases, just accepting ourselves is not enough – the world does not revolve around us alone, and many things do not depend on us alone.

Discrimination is a problem for everyone. Today, if someone is bullied for being a member of a stony community, tomorrow they will be bullied for being disabled, the day after for being a woman, and so on. There are many oppressed groups in our society. We should unite each other’s problems, we have a lot to change in the country, first of all, formal laws that protect no one and in case of their violation, no one is punished.

Don’t say it’s not time for Pride, we have a lot of problems in the country. This exactly is the time for Pride and for fighting against those problems. “

“I really want to leave this place. I am drowning. I cannot breathe. I am not happy here. I have a feeling that a wind started blowing and I was left outside” – writes my friend that has been abandoned by her country, and now is considering abandoning her home, friends and family. Meanwhile I cannot come up with a single sentence, with which I could at least cheer her up or slightly alleviate the chaos in their mind.

I am heartbroken. My friend is miserable. Her quarantine began way earlier, than anyone can imagine. She has been living isolated, like a bird inside a cage, for years now and she doesn’t have a specific date in timeline on how long she has to live like this. Virus that is rampant in our country (and not only here) cannot be treated like Covid-19 and no vaccine will ever stop it. That’s why this person has to sit in her windowless room and wonder about where to run.

My friend was born on a cool autumn day with restless, sad eyes and a kind heart. Years later I was born too. We became friends. For me that’s enough of a reason to justify our birth. I do not want her to go anywhere. She is strong. I can always rely on her. She is like a solid wall, and she is not in danger of collapsing yet. But besides the publicly exposed strong side, she also has her weaknesses, that are impossible to be noticed by a foreign eye. My friend is unhappy and one day she might just kill herself. “We don’t know the reason, we had no idea” – will the others say. Only few of us will know the horrid truth, but we will dare not say a word. Abandoned by her, I will want to leave the country as well. Unless I turn out to be the next victim and someone naively shrugs their shoulders and says– “well, we don’t get why a girl full of life would do such a thing”.

My friend understands very well that the strongest weapon is a word. Sadly, the word doesn’t reach those person’s ears that actually use weapons instead of words, like a well-known stool for example. Therefore, she can’t stand in the streets with banners in her hands, nor can she shout until her voice is muffled, that this country is hers too, that she longs for freedom and is tired of hiding. Given the current situation, can anyone judge her for being afraid, hiding and retreating?

This is one of the main reasons of why I am planning on going to the march of solidarity. The voice of my friend needs to be heard and if she cannot do it on her own, I will be the one who will voice her thoughts. The march of solidarity is a chance to stand side by side with each other, talk about the most important issues that queer people encounter every day. It wouldn’t be right to miss this opportunity.

Our unity is essential. “It will be a step forward not only for queer people, but also for our friends, friends of friends, family members, supporters and, in general, those who want to live in a better, equal, tolerant country.”

For me Pride is associated with freedom and a lot of love. Probably because all this comes naturally with diversity. When a person is less vulnerable to discrimination, they do not have to devote as many resources for dealing with it, therefore, all their efforts can be devoted to personal development. Composed and realized citizens are a precondition for the development of the country. Until each person in the country is valued regardless of his or her differences, our country will not develop.

This was the first year that I decided to definitely join the March of Honor. Often, the queer community is a very distant group from the public towards which there is mostly a negative attitude. Naturally, they are afraid of what they do not know. Unfortunately, much of our society is driven by irrational fears spread by homophobic groups. It is important for the society to see that members of the queer community are people just like everyone else, they also have the right to utilize pubic space, just as every other Georgian citizen.

Also, past few years have showed us that homophobic groups are able to restrict the right to use public space for the queer community, so it is important for those people to see that this country does not belong to them alone and that the supporters of the queer community are fully realized citizens.

The queer community is one of the most accepting groups in society – they have experienced oppression themselves and know best the price of acceptance. If we look back at recent years, the queer community has been a participant in all healthy protests. In general, there is more that unites people rather than what divides us. It is important that we can speak each other’s language, only this unity will shape us into a healthy society.

And finally, people should not be punished for love.

”In Georgia, members of the LGBTQ community are only allowed to breathe (even that’s not always the case). I realized this at an early age. Part of society is trying to convince us that we have the right to do everything at home (they even break into our homes) and we should not occupy public space. They expect us to thank them for this “compromise”.

Homophobic groups try with great diligence to convince people that members of the LGBTQ community are perverted and in this way want to militarize the society against the community. One of their main goals is to silence us and keep us at home. Occupying public space is essential for the public to see what the community actually looks like and to understand that even queer people have the right to live freely. We all have the right to visibility, be it religious, ethnic or sexual minority. Visibility of the LGBTQ community is most important for raising the awareness of the people.

I agreed with the idea of ​​the March of Honor from the very first day. This is a chance to reach out to the public and make them understand that all people are equal. Queer people deserve a safer life just like the rest of us. Unfortunately, I had to move from Georgia to another country and this time I can only express my support online.

I think Pride Week is very important for each of us and a lot depends on it. After the Pride weeks of the past years, there are clearly steps forward and I think a lot more people will see the true face of the queer community this year.

Tbilisi Pride organizes interesting events that will help us raise public awareness. I think community activism is very important. There are people who think that their voice can not change anything, but they are wrong – today every person on the march has great power and importance. I urge my queer friends to join the March of Honor, at least, to raise the awareness of only one person and to prove to them that all people have a right to exist.

I think homophobic groups should definitely see that no one is going to sit quietly at home. I’m not going to accept standards not even knowing by whom or with what rights they were set.

Family has a huge role to play in this fight, their support is essential. Family members need to understand that we have the right to express ourselves and to stop adjusting to other roles. When a person begins to express themselves, first of all, they should have hope for their family. Especially when there is so much homophobia in the country. It is important to love and, if necessary, protect your family members at your own expense. Fight with them and do not allow anyone to oppress them. If you can do that, half the battle will already be won. The biggest support is the family, which stands by you and gives you the strength to fight.

I remember very painfully the years when I was rejected because of my appearance. I still can not forget the hateful looks I was given because of my haircut or piercings. The hatred they expressed when they learned that I support the queer community. There were too many insults to which the state had no response to, because they only care about the  ”majority ”.

The state is supporting homophobic groups and directly incites violence. In the country where I am currently living in, human rights are very strictly protected. Belgium is 100% LGBTQ friendly. Here the physical or verbal abuse towards the queer community will inevitably lead to a harsher response and, of course, this is directly related to the reduction of violence. These are the steps that the state must take. When the abuser can no longer walk in the street, can no longer live next door to us, others will realize that they can not get away with it so easily. Unfortunately, today the church encourages violence.

I think that attending the March of Honor is our priority today, if we want to continue living in a safe country. It will help us to reach freedom. My support to every person who goes out of their way to protect their honor.

I hope to someday be able to return to my home country and feel safe in any situation, be it a house, a cafe, a Pride event or any other public gathering. We will be able to love each other.”

”For me Pride is the best opportunity to demonstrate the problems and challenges of the LGBTQ + community. It is important that community members do not feel alone at this time and we show them that despite any form of difference, we love each other.

Personally, my friends and I are preparing to attend the March of Dignity. For me, this will be the first opportunity to directly support the LGBTQ + community by actually standing on the march. Although non-public gatherings in a homophobic environment are much safer and necessary to raise public awareness, the marches held during the Pride month are no less important, at which time the community can talk about its problems even more loudly and effectively. In general, rallies and public demonstrations remain the most effective method of demanding change for the government.

In our reality, similar types of marches are used by ultra-right, pro-Russian, violent groups for their own PR and pose a real threat to human oppression. As a representative of the opposition party, I consider myself obliged to stand by the citizens in danger. At such times, we should not talk at all about whether we agree with the idea of ​​a march – in this country everyone is equal, everyone has the right to protest. If one person decides to protest something and someone prevents it, we, people with political ambition, have an obligation, to do everything in our power to protect their right, whether we like it or not, agree or disagree with the idea and content of the protest!

For a small country like Georgia, the knowledge or professional capital of each person is vital. We should not forget that community members are also taxpayers, scholars, teachers, soldiers, teachers, store consultants, workers, politicians, journalists, and so on. LGBTQ + people are full members of society and the role of each person in building this country is crucial. Hopefully, we will understand this soon.

In all the important protests held in Georgia in recent years, be it the anti-occupation protests of June 20, the protests against the rigged elections, the protests of Basiani, Namakhvani HPP or Ninotsminda – the queer community was involved in all of them. These people are full citizens of this country and therefore, every problem that is on the agenda – severe social climate, low quality of education, occupation, poverty or other, worries us all equally. In solving problems, the involvement of each citizen is very important.

The Georgian Queer community has already shown that they are in solidarity with the problem of any group of the society and are ready to stand with them at rallies and physically fight to solve each problem – and now it is time for the whole society to respond to the LGBTQ + community with solidarity.

There is a lot of change to be done, however, in my opinion, the main problem is still education and raising public awareness. “We can talk about a lot of short-term legislative initiatives that will help the community significantly – minimum wages, affordable health care, employment policies, quotas, etc., but these are probably issues that can be widely discussed and should be reflected in the programs of political parties.”

“Last time i attended anti-homophobic protest was three years ago. As everyone probably remembers this day was a turning point in my life however, i won’t be talking about that right now. During these three years that I have lived in Germany I haven’t attended any Prides, because the days or weeks celebrated here aren’t achieved with my battles; Because i don’t allow myself the right to celebrate, considering the situation in my country. I am waiting for the day that i will return to my homeland and on this day i will go out in the street with my fellow queer and hetero friends – for freedom, for a dignified present and future, for the condemnation of an unworthy and criminal past and for the memory of the victims.

Despite the distance, my thoughts and activities are always revolving around queer issues, however this fight is still on those who are on the front lines, here and now. Oppression of people, by any reason, is a mistake, a shame and a crime! Recent history has shown that a large part of modern society regrets and seeks to rectify this disgraceful legacy, which obviously did not happen by itself – the result of the struggle and sacrifice of many people. Thus, the success of Tbilisi Pride this year has been particularly fruitful in the fight for LGBT rights and I believe greater changes and victories await us as nothing can stand in the way of progress!

And I hope that I did the least and got through those uninformed and scared youths who hated themselves and were scared of themselves for slightest differences. What can I say to them, if not the same as three years ago: Queers, love yourself and never forget that love is love, always and everywhere! ”

”For me, pride is a combination of opposition and celebration – together we oppose hatred and ignorance, at the same time we celebrate each other. I am proud of all the queer people because each of us has to wrestle with ourselves and the outside world. These processes are never easy and have a severe impact on a person’s mental health. Nevertheless, we are here, we aren’t giving up, we live, we love and we are happy.

At the end of the day we are all just human beings that strive to be happy. I often think how much better the world would be if we were more empathetic towards each other. No one deserves to be discriminated against because of our orientation, gender, race, religion and other factors.

I think all people should want equality within their society. I feel hurt at other people’s trouble. I hope they too will be willing to listen to me and help me eliminate the problem. Today I will fight for myself, tomorrow others will. If we show solidarity with each other and stand by each other, our chances of success will increase.

Yes, I’m going to Pride. Online activism is very important, but gathering in the physical space is essential. You see people in the physical space beyond the screen, we show the public that we are part of this country and we are not going anywhere, that we stand and fight for equal conditions and for a better future.”