Ruling party official says anti-LGBT propaganda law fulfills public demand, child protection “key”

Levan Machavariani, an MP from the ruling Georgian Dream party and Deputy Chair of the parliamentary faction of the ruling party, on Thursday said the adoption of the law against LGBT propaganda was a demand from the majority of Georgian citizens.

Machavariani’s remarks come after the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O'Flaherty on Wednesday published a report, which stated that the law on the protection of family values was creating a basis for legal discrimination against LGBT people and was incompatible with the European Court of Human Rights and its case law.

“The adoption of the anti-LGBT propaganda law was the absolute demand of our population. Let me remind our society once again that I am not only referring to our supporters in this case, but to the entire Georgian population. Perhaps with the exception of 5-10% at most”, the ruling party official said.

“People are free to choose their sexual orientation, what they do in private is of no concern. However, propaganda among children is a red line. Unfortunately, in several highly developed EU member states, active propaganda is taking place in schools and kindergartens, where shows are staged”, he concluded.