The UN and EU Delegations to Georgia, the EUMM and the embassies in the country issued a joint statement on International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, expressing solidarity with the Georgian LGBTQ community.
On International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT), we once again express our support and solidarity with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gay and intersex (LGBTQ +) community in Georgia. LGBTQ+ people are one of the most marginalised and vulnerable groups in Georgian society. Representatives of the community face discrimination and violence, about which information is often not even known, and the protection and realisation of their rights remains a challenge,” the statement reads.
The authors of the statement note that it is necessary to prosecute the instigators and perpetrators of the “shameful events” of July 5, 2021. At the same time, the statement said that “the Government of Georgia has an obligation to protect the right to peaceful assembly, to prevent discrimination and violence, and to ensure that citizens can openly and publicly mark IDAHOBIT [International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia], with due regard for their rights and security.”
The statement also focused on the latest WISG study, which shows that public opinion on LGBTQ issues is changing for the better.
“At the same time, we would like to note that the growing number of Georgian citizens supports diversity and believes that the protection of the rights of LGBTQ + people is important. According to the latest data, the number of people in Georgia who consider it unacceptable to restrict the right of assembly and expression for LGBTQ + communities is unacceptable and believe that the state does not respond properly to violence and discrimination against LGBTQ + individuals.
State policy and practice must be in line with both Georgia’s international obligations and this social change. LGBTQ+ rights must be effectively and adequately protected, including through the National Human Rights Strategy and Action Plan. It is also necessary to strengthen social protection and support vulnerable members of the LGBTQ+ community in painful issues such as food insecurity, the growing risk of homelessness and access to health care,” the statement said, calling on Georgia to “Responsible efforts to combat discrimination, stigmatization and violence, including through public speeches based on respect and compassion and constructive dialogue with LGBTQ+ communities, to address the most pressing issues.”
The statement is published by the United Nations in Georgia, the EU Delegation to Georgia, Austria, the United States, New Zealand, Belgium, Bulgaria, the United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Estonia, Japan, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands. , The embassies of Portugal, Romania, France, Slovenia, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Croatia and the Head of the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia.
